


Deaths of the Immortal

by Lastsyns



Category: Doctor Who
Genre: Alcohol Abuse/Alcoholism, Alcohol Withdrawal, Anal Sex, Doctor/Patient, Homesickness, Injury Recovery, Jack Needs a Hug, Jack being Jack, M/M, Recovery, Sleepy Cuddles, Suicide Attempt, Temporary Character Death
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-06-27
Updated: 2017-05-23
Packaged: 2018-07-18 14:24:54
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 38
Words: 50,501
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7318807
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lastsyns/pseuds/Lastsyns
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>After the events of COE, Jack has become depressed and has let himself go thinking that no one would care. That was until the Doctor found him.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

Jack sat alone in the bathtub in a cheap hotel on the small moon of Numisao. It was the kind of place that didn't ask questions, nor did they ask for a name if the money was right. It was the perfect place for someone to disappear and that is exactly what Jack wanted to do. He just wanted to be left alone so that he could forget everything that had happened to him during his immortal life and hopefully, in the end, forget himself as well. Only he never could forget and each morning he woke up to the same painful memories of his losses. He could still see Ianto's face as he stared up at him begging him never to forget him. Even if a thousand years passed, he wanted to be remembered and for a moment Jack hated himself as forgetting is exactly what he was trying to do. 

After Ianto's death, he had traveled. Never staying in one place very long as he tried to find somewhere that he actually fit in the universe. Along the way, he had heard people talking about fearing death and actually wishing they were immortal. Jack knew better, however, and immortality wasn't something that he would wish upon anyone else. How were the fools suppose to know that it wasn't the blessing that they pictured? It was a curse that made you watch everyone you loved and cared about die until you were the only one standing alone in the darkness screaming. 

With that thought, Jack reached over and picked up the small knife that he brought with him to the tub. He flicked it open to reveal a blade that he had sharpened until it cut easily. He placed the blade against his wrist and with one quick swipe, opened the vein. He felt the burning pain of the incision followed by the hot blood pouring from his veins. He rested his wrist on the edge of the tub as he felt the blood leaving his body. At one time, he hated to die. While that was still true in some cases, dying by the knife was different. 

He still remembered the first time that he had slit his wrist. He had been drinking and the alcohol was no longer having the effect he wanted. Due to his high metabolism and Autron energy fueled body he was never able to drink enough to drink himself to death. So night after night, he was still cursed with the nightmares. Until one night, he had enough. He knew it was useless as he slashed into his wrist for the first time but still he had tried to kill himself. Hoping that once and for all he wouldn't wake in the morning. He found out, though, that the loss of blood made it hard for him to regenerate. He was tired afterward and climbed into bed sleeping more soundly than he had in years. He tried not to use the knife again after that, but the feeling had become a comfort of some kind. He knew it was wrong, yet he couldn't stop himself from killing himself just to sleep peacefully for a few hours. 

Even now he could feel his head becoming heavy and the thoughts that plagued him constantly drifting away. He could still see Ianto's face and knew he always would. He let the darkness overwhelm him, welcoming it like an old friend. Then everything stopped. For a moment there was nothing but an overwhelming darkness with a light in the distance that he could never reach. He hung there feeling free until he was forced back into his body with the first breath in. Opening his eyes to the hotel bath, he pulled himself up out of the bloody water. Emptying the water, he then took a quick shower to clean up before stumbling his way wet and naked to his bed. He stopped in the doorway, however, when unlike the many times before now there was someone else currently in his room. 

The man didn't look at him as he snooped through Jack's belongs. He moved his trousers aside on the chair looking underneath them. He picked up Jack's shirt, sniffed it with an unhappy face before throwing it aside. He looked at the whiskey bottles that had gathered in the corner of the room. The room was as uncared for as the man standing in the doorway watching him. Finally, brown eyes turned on him. The owner of them had his eyebrows furrowed in concern as he looked at his one-time friend and companion. 

"What happened to you?" The Doctor questioned softly, his voice full of concern. 

"It doesn't matter," Jack replied as he stumbled to his bed. He collapsed down on it, just wanting to sleep. He didn't care that the lithe man was here. He would be gone soon anyways as he never did care enough about Jack to stay long. "Just do what you do best and leave."

"I'm not leaving you here," The Doctor told him. Jack turned his head to glare at him.

"You never cared before so I don't know why you are pretending to care now. You never had time for me Doc and I have come to accept that. What I don't understand is why you had to let the others die. They were innocent," Jack yelled at the Time Lord. The Doctor didn't flinch or turn away from his harsh words. 

"I'm sorry," The Doctor replied, not sure what else to say. 

"You should be," Jack snipped at him. He flopped down on the bed, turning his back to the Doctor. He didn't bother covering in the warm room and if the Doctor didn't like his nakedness, that wasn't Jack's problem. "If you aren't going to leave then the least you can do is shut up and let me sleep."

"Fine," the Doctor replied. He pushed Jack's trousers onto the floor with his foot before sitting down in the chair. He crossed his arms while he waited silently for Jack to drift off. Once he was sure that he was asleep, he stood up. It was obvious that Jack needed help and he was the best one to provide it. He could deal with Jack's anger if it allowed Jack to talk to him. In order to help him, though, he needed to know what he was dealing with. So with Jack asleep, he once more began exploring the room for answers.


	2. Chapter 2

Over the years, the Doctor had heard a lot of prophecies about himself. Most of them predicted his death or an upcoming cataclysm that he would be a part of. Some had even seen him as a bearer of hope but he believed them less than he believed the death predictions. There was a reason why he was known as the Oncoming Storm. It was the same reason why he didn't let himself get close to anyone for long. In the end, his hearts always ended up broken and he moved on alone. There was something different about this prophecy, however. This one had chilled him to his core when he heard it. He had been told by the ood that his song would be ending soon before he was told that "He will knock four times." There was only one man in the universe that the prediction could be about and that man was dead. Still, the Master had come back before despite all odds and the Doctor had no doubt that he could do it again. Even if he had burned his body. 

He was afraid and perhaps that was what led him to believe he was better than the laws of the universe. Time was his to control. He got away with it the first time when he saved a boy's life, who had been destined to die. He gave the boy lifesaving medicine and allowed him to take his place as ruler of the Zmyjast, in place of his brother. His brother had been naive and the people were suffering unnecessarily at his hands. The Doctor hoped that the little boy would grow up to lead the people and bring them to prosperity. He had meant to check back on them but had become distracted when he landed on Mars. There he had once again broken the laws of time and this time saved a group of people. He had ruined a woman's legacy because of it as she had killed herself to fix the timelines. He had then run as fast he could to find that the boy was vicious ruler and thousands were dead who should have lived. The Doctor couldn't face, nor fix his mistake so he ran. He ran as fast and as far he could desperate to get away. 

He was confused when the TARDIS landed in the little hotel on the small moon. He didn't understand why she had brought him there when he had been aiming for somewhere warm and sunny. Still, he knew that she always had a reason, even if he didn't understand it. Stepping out of the TARDIS, he saw that the hotel room was filthy. Whoever was staying here had no regard for themselves and slept on dirty bedsheets among empty bottles of whiskey. Walking over to the window. Using his sonic, he pushed the curtain aside so that he could look out at the deep darkness of the moon. The moon had little atmosphere beyond the domes that housed the citizens and therefore saw very little light even during the day. Plants and people alike survived by the artificial lights that lined the streets as well as the food that was brought in by cargo ships. He let go of the curtain, turning to look back at the room. That is when he saw the familiar looking trousers laying on a chair. 

He didn't look up as the door on the other side of the room opened. He could feel the uniqueness that was Jack enter the room. At one time that feeling had offended his Time Lord senses but over the years he had come to take comfort in the feeling. It meant that no matter how lonely or lost he was in the universe there was always one man that he could turn to. Yet, it seemed that as much as he needed his friend, that Jack needed him more. He pushed aside the trouser not needing to pick them up in order to see that they were ripped and stained. He did pick up the shirt underneath it, however. He brought it to his nose, smelling it quickly and wishing that he hadn't. The shirt hadn't been washed in awhile. He sat the shirt down looking at the even more empty bottles that lined the walls before finally turning to look at Jack. 

"What happened to you?" He wondered in concern. While Jack looked normal, the Doctor knew that appearances could be deceiving. Due to the fact that he was immortal, Jack's body always looked healthy especially if he had died recently. His eyes, however, couldn't hide the pain. 

"It doesn't matter," Jack replied as he stumbled naked to his bed, not looking at the Doctor as he walked. "Just do what you do best and leave."

"I'm not leaving you here," The Doctor told him. Jack turned his head to glare at him.

"You never cared before so I don't know why you are pretending to care now. You never had time for me Doc and I have come to accept that. What I don't understand is why you had to let the others die. They were innocent," Jack yelled at the Time Lord. The Doctor didn't understand who Jack was talking about. Yes, he had made mistakes but Jack had never called him for help. 

"I'm sorry," The Doctor replied, not sure how else to respond to Jack. 

"You should be," Jack snipped at him. He collapsed face down onto it not bothering to cover himself. Rolling onto his side, he turned his back to the Doctor. "If you aren't going to leave then the least you can do is shut up and let me sleep."

"Fine," the Doctor replied. He pushed Jack's trousers onto the floor with his foot before sitting down in the chair. He crossed his arms while he waited silently for Jack to drift off. Once Jack was asleep, he stood up looking around the room for answers so that he could help him. Jack was obviously in pain and the Doctor wasn't going to leave him again. He had already left Jack alone too many times in the past and it was obvious that Jack was just like him and didn't do well on his own. Going to the bathroom, he looked into see that the room was just as filthy as the rest of the hotel. Except unlike the main hotel room, there was blood on the side of the tub. He walked over to it and knelt down as he pulled out his sonic. He wasn't the least bit surprised when the blood came back as Jack's.

"Oh, Jack," He whispered. Seeing the knife sitting on the edge of the tub, he picked it up as he stood up straight. The knife was still stained with Jack's blood. There were no knife marks on Jack's body, however, indicating that he had killed himself. The Doctor took the knife to the sink and washed it over before sticking it in his pocket. He couldn't imagine the pain that Jack had to be in order to kill himself, knowing that he would come back. He wanted to believe that Jack chose to die to heal injuries but the alcohol bottles indicated that Jack hadn't left this room in a while except to retrieve more whiskey. The Doctor didn't need to see any more to know that Jack desperately needed his help. Finding a bag, he cleaned up Jack's clothes and went through the rooms grabbing anything that Jack might need or want. Once that was done, he put his plan into motion. 

Going to the TARDIS, he dropped the bag just inside the door before going straight to his medi-bay. He first went to the supplies cupboard and got out the restraints he kept. He hadn't used them in awhile but he had the feeling that he was going to need them. He attached them to one of the beds that had an alternating pressure mattress. He didn't want Jack to get any sores or be in pain as the Doctor helped him heal. He then went to the cupboard and filled a syringe with a sedative, adjusting the amount to account for Jack's immortality. Going back into the hotel room, he apologized silently to Jack before sticking the needle into his thigh. Jack woke with a start turning to swing at the Doctor. 

"What did you do?" Jack questioned angrily. He could feel the drug clouding his mind even as he tried to fight it. Desperate, he climbed to his feet stumbling towards the bathroom. 

"I'm sorry Jack, but I'm not going to leave you here. Now just sit down and relax before you hurt yourself," The Doctor told him.

"Screw you," Jack cursed as his legs gave out. He collapsed to the floor but he wasn't ready to give in yet. He managed to pull himself several feet before the sedative finally won and he fell into a deep sleep. Moving quickly, the Doctor scooped Jack up into his arms and carried him to the medi-bay. Once there he attached the restraints to Jack's wrist and ankles to make sure that he couldn't run. He covered him with a thick blanket tucking it around him as he didn't want his friend to be uncomfortable. Jack was going to be angry with him when he woke. The Doctor was use to people being angry with him, though. He just hoped that one day Jack would forgive him.


	3. Chapter 3

With Jack secured in the medi-bay, the Doctor went back out to the control room. The first thing he wanted to do was get Jack off of this moon. It was his fault that Jack was immortal and suffering. He had left Jack behind many times in the past and he wasn't going to leave him again. He thought highly of the Captian and was proud of how he had turned his life around from being a conman to being a respected leader. Now, Jack had fallen and the Doctor wanted to help him pick himself back up because Jack deserved better than to live in some run down filthy hotel room. 

The Doctor sent the TARDIS into the vortex only taking her a short distance, to begin with. He quickly found an uninhabited planet that he could set her to orbit around. He would have to move again soon as he had no food aboard the TARDIS and with Jack's high metabolism he would need to eat regularly. That was if he could even make Jack eat as he had seen no evidence in Jack's hotel room that he was consuming anything but alcohol. Making sure that the TARDIS was locked onto the planet, the Doctor returned to the medi-bay. Going to the storage once more, he dug through it until he found a high energy liquid that could be fed to a patient through a feeding tube. It wasn't the nicest way to ensure Jack stayed alive, but if Jack refused to eat it would be necessary. He took the formula as well as a feeding tube back out with him setting them on the counter. He then retrieved a fresh syringe from the cupboard.

Moving the blanket back to expose Jack's arm, he realized that he had left Jack's vortex manipulator on his arm. He set the syringe down so that he could remove the device before Jack awoke. He didn't know if it was working at the moment and he didn't need Jack to use it while aboard the TARDIS. He stuck it into his pocket planning on putting it in his room later. With the manipulator secured, he once more picked up the syringe. Jack didn't stir as he inserted the needle into the crook of his arm and drew only a small amount of blood. He capped the syringe dropping it into a small drawer beside the bed. Within moments the TARDIS had analyzed Jack's blood, displaying the results. Jack's energy levels were erratic indicating that he had, in fact, died recently. No wonder Jack had been so tired. The Doctor looked at his sleeping friend for a moment. Jack should have been coming around from the sedative already but with his energy levels off he was having trouble beating it. That was alright with the Doctor, though, as he turned back to the screen. He realized that he was right and Jack hadn't been eating because while returning to life would make him look healthy again, it wouldn't replace the nutrients that he was missing. The Doctor left Jack's side again to grab the feeding tube off of the counter. 

With the TARDIS's help, he fed the tube up Jack's left nostril and down towards his stomach. As he pushed the tube in, Jack began to stir. He whimpered trying to turn his head away from what the Doctor was doing. The Doctor stopped him by placing his hand firmly on Jack's forehead to hold him in place as he continued to feed the tube with his other hand. Realizing he couldn't turn his head away, Jack tried to lift his hand to bat the Doctor's hands away from him. That is when he realized that his hands were constrained to the sides of the bed. His eyes shot open as he looked for the source of his discomfort. 

"What are you doing to me?" Jack asked sounding confused, his voice still thick with sleep. He tried to figure out how he got onto the TARDIS as the last thing he remembered was stumbling his way to the bathroom in his hotel room. 

"Helping you," The Doctor answered. He looked at the TARDIS screen to confirm that the tube was in place before releasing Jack's head. 

"I don't want your help," Jack snipped at him as his mind started to clear. Going back to the counter, he opened a drawer pulling out a large needleless syringe along with a roll of tape. 

"Tough," The Doctor replied. He closed the drawer. Setting down the syringe for a moment, he opened the formula. 

"You're a right bastard, you know. Not only have you drugged and kidnapped me. You are also holding me hostage, as well as providing medical treatment that I didn't authorize," Jack informed him angrily as he watched the Doctor fill the syringe. 

"We both know that I am doing this for your own good," The Doctor informed Jack. Going back to the bed, he used the tape to stick the feeding tube to the side of Jack's face. He then picked up the other end of the tube and connected it to the needleless syringe in his hand. 

"You have a choice, you can let me go right now or the first chance I get I am going to turn you into the authorities," Jack threatened. A shudder went through him as his stomach was being filled with the thick liquid. It felt heavy after only having alcohol in it for the last few months. 

"I am the last of the Time Lords. If you're looking for a higher authority than me, there isn't one," The Doctor informed him with a roll of his eyes. His eyes were dark and the Oncoming storm was looming behind them, but Jack didn't care. He was angry and wanted a fight. 

"I am sure the Shadow Proclamation would disagree with you," Jack snapped in response. 

"And tell me how you plan on contacting the Shadow Proclamation when we are floating in space," The Doctor questioned. The Doctor finished emptying the syringe and then put in the drawer for the TARDIS to dispose of. 

"I'll find a way," Jack replied. The Doctor nodded. He pulled up a chair next to the bed taking a seat in it. 

"I'm sure you will or you will come to realize that I am right and that you need my help. Either way, you will remain here with me until I have determined that you won't be a danger to yourself," the Doctor informed him patiently. 

"How am I a danger to myself?" Jack wondered letting his anger show through again. Reaching into his pocket the Doctor pulled out the small knife that he had found in the bathroom of the hotel. He flipped it open. 

"You tell me," The Doctor told Jack. Jack closed his eyes briefly before opening them and looking determinedly at the Doctor. 

"You had no right to go through my things," Jack hissed. 

"I didn't have to go through anything. It was laying right on the edge of the bathtub where you left it after you killed yourself with it," The Doctor responded. Jack tried to lash out at the Doctor, wanting to hit him for his comments but he was unable to due to the restraints. He pulled on them angrily trying to get free and the Doctor sitting there patiently watching him just made him angrier. That and the Doctor didn't seem to care that Jack was trying to hit him. He gave up after a moment falling still. 

"Go away," Jack seethed.

"No," The Doctor replied calmly. 

"I said go away," Jack screamed. 

"I'm not going anywhere," The Doctor told him. Jack couldn't look at him anymore. He closed his eyes turning his head away from the Doctor. He didn't want to deal with the man anymore. Instead, he pretended that he was back in his hotel room, on his own once more.


	4. Chapter 4

Jack sat alone in a small bar outside of Cardiff. It wasn't a place that he had ever set foot in before but he didn't have a place to call home anymore. For years he had lived in the sewers of Torchwood, except now Torchwood was gone. So was the Welshman that had made his life a little better for a short time. He missed Ianto more than he was able to express. He had promised Ianto that he would still remember him in a thousand years. In truth, he didn't think he would ever forget him. Regardless of how much time passed, he would always have a place for Ianto in his heart. He reached up wiping a tear from his eyes as he pictured Ianto's face staring up at him. The ringing of his phone distracted him from his thoughts. For a moment, he just considered ignoring it as the last few times had been his daughter, Alice. 

"You have to save him. He is all that I have in this world," Alice had begged him. It was because of him that his grandson Steven wasn't tucked up safely in his own bed tonight but dying a cold hospital room. Jack had chosen to sacrifice his grandson in order to save all of the children on Earth.

"I can't," Jack had told her. 

"Please, dad. The doctors are talking about taking him off of life support in the morning," Alice had informed him. Jack had closed his eyes briefly. The images in his head had changed from Ianto to his grandson convulsing on the ground with blood running from his nose. Alice had held Steven close to her chest rocking him but Jack hadn't tried to comfort her, knowing that he had killed her son. Somehow Steven had survived as the paramedics had detected a faint heartbeat. Hope was bleak, however, and upon arriving at the hospital the boy had been declared brain dead. 

"I'm sorry," Jack had answered softly. 

"You should be. You killed my baby," Alice had yelled at him, her voice thick with tears before hanging up on him. Jack had just stared at the phone in his hand hating himself even more. That had been the last that he had heard from Alice. He didn't blame her for not inviting him to Steven's funeral. Nor did he blame her for not wanting to ever see him again. When his phone rang a second time, he pulled it out of his pocket ready to just turn it off. That is until he saw who was calling. 

"Please tell me that you found it," Jack practically begged Gwen as he answered the phone. His vortex manipulator had been missing since Torchwood had been destroyed by a bomb placed inconveniently in his own stomach. 

"I have it. They found it in the wreckage. Indestructible. Like its owner. I put on a new strap for you," Gwen informed him over the phone. "Where do you want me to meet you?" Jack gave her the location of a small hill that would allow him to contact a passing ship. With any luck, they would agree to take him to the nearest space station and he would be free of this planet. The world was too small and the whole place was like a graveyard. He had to get away and he had to forget. 

-DW-

Jack opened his eyes to find that he wasn't in the pub in Cardiff but still located in the TARDIS medi-bay. He didn't know how long he had been asleep for but he didn't have to turn his head to know that his capturer was still sitting next to his bed. He could hear him breathing softly and evenly indicating that he might be asleep as well. Jack was tempted to scream to wake him as he was angrier than he had ever been in the past at the Doctor. If he wanted to live in that beat-up hotel room and die night after night, that was his choice. The Doctor had no right to step in, nor did he have a right to take him from that moon without his permission. Turning his head, he saw that he was wrong. The Doctor wasn't sleeping but was resting as he sat observing Jack. 

"If you're not going to leave me alone, then you might as well get me a bottle of whiskey," Jack snapped at him. 

"I'm not giving you alcohol. If you want something to drink, I could make you a cup of coffee. I could also make you something to eat. At least, I think I have food here," The Doctor offered. Jack narrowed his eyes at him. He couldn't remember the last time he had a good cup of coffee and doubted the Doctor could make him one. Also, the thought of food sounded even less appealing than the thought of coffee.

"I'm not hungry," Jack told him. The Doctor nodded slowly. 

"Regardless of whether or not you want to eat, you need the nutrients, Jack. Your body can starve to death in a matter of days if you don't eat," The Doctor informed him.

"Let it," Jack hissed at him. Why did he care if this body that he was forced to have died? He was trying hard to reach his final death. He knew there had to be away, he just had to die enough times. Then he would be reunited with Ianto, Steven and everyone else that he had lost throughout the years. 

"No. I'm not letting you just die again regardless of whether or not you'll come back. Either you choose to eat or I will use the feeding tube again to make sure that you get the nutrition that your body needs," The Doctor snapped at him. He knew he was being selfish by expecting Jack to continue on living. Jack hadn't asked to be immortal and had already lived longer than any human should. While the Doctor knew that Jack would one day save everybody left on New Earth, he also knew that timelines could change.

"Fine, then get me a bloody coffee," Jack yelled at him. The Doctor didn't respond to his anger besides getting up and leaving the medi-bay. While he was gone Jack fought to get free of the restraints. He kicked and pulled, tugging his arms until they hurt but try as he might, the restraints remained firmly in place keeping him trapped on the bed. 

"Give up yet?" The Doctor questioned as he came back in with two cups in his hand. 

"Never," Jack hissed. The Doctor brought the cup of coffee to Jack, holding it so that he could take a drink. Jack took a small sip before on purposely spitting it back in the cup. "I wouldn't call that crap you just tried to give me coffee."

"Of course, you wouldn't," the Doctor sighed. Walking over to the counter he poured the cup of coffee down the drain. While there he pulled out a clean needleless syringe and filled it with the liquid nutritional drink. Going back to the end of the bed, he once more began to feed Jack through the tube. This time, Jack watched him with a small glare on his face. He hated the full feeling the liquid gave him without the satisfaction of actually eating. He hated the Doctor even more for forcing him to survive. A thought occured to him as the liquid filled his stomach, though, and he smiled.

"What happens when I have to pee due to the liquid you are pushing into my stomach?" Jack questioned him.

"I have a bottle that you can use," The Doctor answered him calmly not sure why Jack was grinning or why the smile got larger at his words. 

"I can't aim into the bottle with my hands restrained. I guess that means you will just have to hold the bottle for me. Is that what you wanted Doc? Did you want to touch me?" Jack wondered snidely. The Doctor's face turned bright red at Jack's words as if he hadn't considered that. "Admit it Doc. You just want to touch it."

"Are you done?" The Doctor asked as he finished emptying the syringe. He secured the end of the line than took of towards the door of the medi-bay. 

"Go on Doc. Touch it," Jack called after him as the Doctor hurried out the door. Happy to be alone for a moment, Jack once more began to try to break free.


	5. Chapter 5

The Doctor hurried out to the control room taking a seat on the captain's chair. He had already figured out that Jack couldn't use the bottle with the way that his hands were restrained and had come up with a solution. When Jack needed to use the loo all he had to do was to tighten Jack's left hand on the bed and loosen his right. Then Jack would be able to take care of himself without having to have his help. Even with this plan, he knew that Jack was just trying to antagonize him but he had let him. He had let Jack tell him to touch him without telling him the plan. He had wanted to see his old flirty friend back but Jack had just seemed angry at him. There was no playfulness, just a demand as if by touching him the Doctor would be hurting him even more. 

"What should I do?" The Doctor asked the TARDIS out loud. She hummed sadly at him offering him no suggestion. The Doctor sighed rubbing the back of his neck with his hand. "Was I right to take him from the hotel room without his permission?" The Doctor looked down as the drawer beside the monitor opened. Inside the drawer was the phone that Martha had given him. He reached into the drawer picking it up. Despite not seeing the phone for over a year now, it was still fully charged and ready to make a call. He flipped it open as he considered calling Martha then closed the phone again. He didn't need Martha telling him that he had been wrong for helping Jack or even worse that he had been right before offering to help him. 

"I can take care of Jack on my own," The Doctor snipped at the TARDIS. She hummed at him blowing cold air. The Doctor rolled his eyes at her. Then pushed himself to his feet leaving the phone on the seat. "I was the one who got Jack into this mess. He thinks I wasn't there to help him when he needed me and he is right. I helped to make Jack who he is, then I ran when he needed me the most. All he wanted was an answer and I ran. I can't do that to him again."

The Doctor stood up rushing around the console. He changed the coordinates before pulling the handbrake to send the TARDIS on her way. He was careful as he drove her to her new destination making sure that she remained level and didn't throw Jack around the medi-bay. The medi-bay had a separate stabilizer that kept its patients steady and safe as it was dangerous to throw someone with a serious injury to the ground as they were being taken to a hospital. Still, if the TARDIS tilted too much to one side accidents could still happen. He landed her within a few minutes outside of a small shop. The shop had what was considered the best coffee in the galaxy and since Jack hated the cup he offered him, he hoped that Jack would enjoy their coffee. Though, the Doctor wasn't sure why Jack hated the coffee as Donna had picked it out and drank it regularly while she was on the TARDIS. 

Pulling the monitor over to himself, he had the TARDIS pull up Jack's stats from the medi-bay. Jack was still stable, even though his heart rate had increased. The Doctor went to the door to see Jack still fighting the restraints. He was pulling on them desperate to get free but he wouldn't escape them. The restraints were made to hold Time Lords in place so the Doctor doubted that Jack would be able to pull himself free. He thought about going in to try to calm Jack down but decided on getting a peace offering first. Hurrying, he left the TARDIS and went into the shop. He had to wait in a short line to purchase a cup of coffee, then wait while it was made. 

He returned quickly to the TARDIS, taking the coffee into the medi-bay. He paused in the doorway as he looked into see that Jack was no longer fighting against the restraints. Instead, he was laying there with his head turned to the side staring at the wall. The Doctor could see tears running down his face and heard Jack sniffle softly. He walked slowly over to his bed, setting the coffee down on the bedside table. He laid a gentle hand down on Jack's arm just wanting to comfort his friend as he was clearly distressed. Jack immediately tried to pull his arm away causing him to move his hand.

"Just do whatever you are going to do to me and leave," Jack told him, the fight gone from his voice. 

"Jack," the Doctor started. He picked up the cup of coffee again holding it out as an offering. Jack didn't notice it as he continued to stare at the wall refusing to look at the Doctor. 

"I don't want to hear it," Jack interrupted. The Doctor left the bedside for a moment going to the medical cupboard. He pulled out a bottle of anti-depressants and retrieved one from the bottle. The pills were from the 43rd century and would start working in a few days to help Jack feel better. They weren't a magical fix, however, and Jack would still need to talk about what was bothering him in order to feel better. Still, the pills would allow him to start controlling his emotions as the Doctor couldn't remember ever seeing Jack cry before these last few days. 

"I brought you a good cup of coffee," The Doctor informed Jack. Jack turned his eyes to look at him as he came back to the bed. He offered the cup of coffee to Jack and he took a small drink. The coffee was better than the last cup the Doctor had brought but it still didn't compare to the coffee Ianto use to make. Jack cautiously took a second drink followed by a third. "How is it?"

"It's nice," Jack answered enjoying how it made his chest feel warm. It had been awhile since anything but alcohol reached his stomach and enjoyed the taste. 

"Now that you have had a drink, I think it is time we discuss placing you on an anti-depressant," The Doctor told him as he took a drink. 

"No," Jack replied automatically. 

"Jack," The Doctor tried but once again he was interrupted. 

"I'm not taking your damn pill and the only thing I am willing to discuss with you is where you are going to drop me off when you let me go," Jack hissed at him. The Doctor sucked his lips in as he nodded slowly. He picked up the cup of coffee offering Jack another drink. Jack turned his head away from him, though, staring at the opposite wall once more. The Doctor reached into his pocket and pulled out the cell phone. Maybe it was time to contact Martha afterall.


	6. Chapter 6

The Doctor stepped out of the medi-bay as he opened the cell phone. He dialed Martha's phone number and let it ring once before immediately hanging up. Chastising himself under his breath for being a coward he decided another cup of tea was in order before he tried to make the call again. Pocketing the phone once more, he made his way to the kitchen to put the kettle on. As he neared it, though, the phone in his pocket began to vibrate. He pulled it out staring at the screen as he saw Martha's name appear. Sighing he opened the phone. 

"Martha Jones," He said happily into the phone. He heard her giggle and it made him smile despite the situation. He continued on his way to the kitchen as he spoke to her. 

"I can't believe it is really you, Doctor. I never thought that I would hear from you again," Martha told him. The Doctor sighed not wanting to tell her that if it hadn't been for Jack she probably wouldn't have. He didn't like looking back. "So I know you didn't call just to catch up, so how can I help you?"

"I need to know what happened to Jack after I left," The Doctor informed her. He put the phone on speaker laying on the counter so that he could put the kettle on while they talked. 

"I think that you should talk to Jack about that as it isn't really my place to tell you," Martha responded vaguely. The Doctor sighed. He wasn't sure if he wanted to tell Martha that he had Jack currently restrained in his medi-bay but he needed answers. He got down a cup for his tea adding sugar to it as he decided to tell her what he knew. 

"I've tried talking to him. He told me that I let innocent people die but he won't tell me who," The Doctor explained to her. It was a safe answer that wasn't a lie but didn't tell her everything. It also apparently wasn't enough either. 

"Just give him some time. He will tell you the rest when he is ready," Martha replied. The Doctor swore colorfully in Gallifreyan. He took the phone off speaker as he brought it to his ear. 

"Jack won't talk to me. I have tried but he is mad at me for restraining him in my medi-bay," The Doctor told her, he continued quickly before she had a chance to comment. "I know what you are thinking but I had no choice after I found him in a hotel room on a small moon. He is depressed Martha and if you have any information that would allow me to help him, I would appreciate it or I am going to have to find someone who can help me."

"Have you ever heard of the 456?" Martha questioned him. He furrowed his brow as he thought about it, but they didn't sound familiar. 

"No," He responded. He listened as Martha explained that they were an alien race who had come to earth to collect the children in order to use them as a type of drug. The Doctor thought that they sounded like the species commonly known as the Collectors but he couldn't be sure. He made his tea sitting down at the table as Martha told him how the 456 had used the children of Earth as a signal taking control of them for a short period of time. She wasn't sure how many children the aliens had wanted but she did know that Jack had tried to stand up to them and they had released a poison into the air that had killed everyone in the building including Ianto. Jack had then used his own grandson, Steven, to send the signal back killing the 456.

"What happened to Steven?" The Doctor questioned. He wasn't stupid, though. He knew that using the boy to relay the signal would have killed him in a matter of hours, depending on how strong the boy was. 

"He was taken to a nearby hospital and placed on life support. Gwen told me that Jack left when they decided that he was brain dead and were going to turn off the machines. She called me hoping that I would be able to help him with the knowledge I received from traveling with you. But when I called the hospital they said that he had already been transferred to another hospital for further treatment from a doctor James McCrimmon," Martha informed him. The Doctor felt a smile appear on his face. He had used that name only once before in Scotland with Rose but he was positive it was him. He wasn't sure if he could actually save Steven but he would try and by doing so save Jack. 

"Thank you, Martha for everything," The Doctor told her as he finished off his tea. 

"I knew it. Doctor James McCrimmon is you isn't it?" Martha asked. 

"Yes," The Doctor answered. He put his cup into the kitchen sink before heading towards the control room. As he passed by the medi-bay, he looked into see Jack lying with his eyes closed. The slow rise and fall of his chest indicated that he was asleep and the Doctor was happy to let him rest. 

"Then I have a favor of my own to ask. Let me help you," Martha told him. 

"Martha," The Doctor started to argue. It felt very familiar when she interrupted him. 

"Hear me out. If you already have Jack and are going to get Steven, you are going to need someone that you can trust to help you care for them. You know that I am a trained doctor and can help you with Steven. Plus, Jack trust me. Before he left, he and I spent long hours on the phone just talking. If he is hurting then he needs someone that he feels comfortable talking to and I am sorry Doctor but at the moment that person isn't you," Martha explained to the Doctor. He ran his hand through his hair to rub the back of his neck. 

"Where and when are you?" He questioned as he reached for the controls. Martha gave him the time and place to pick her up at and the Doctor hung up the phone so that he could pilot the TARDIS. It took a few minutes to get to the correct place and as soon as he landed he heard a key in his door. A moment later the door opened and Martha rushed in. She looked different from the last time he saw her as she was wearing all black including black combat boots. Her hair was longer and framing her face as she grinned at him. He rushed around the console happy to see her. He met her half way up the ramp as he wrapped his arms around her in a big hug. 

"I've missed you," Martha told him. She hugged him back before taking a step back. "There is one more thing that you need to know before we go." The Doctor looked up as another person entered. The man was about as tall as him and also wearing black right down to the black hat upon his head. The Doctor glance at the man's hand to see a gold band on his ring finger. A quick check revealed that Martha also had a gold ring. He watched in disbelief as she reached her hand out and the man took it. 

"No, no, no, no. You didn't," The Doctor exclaimed as he looked from one confused face to the other. 

"Didn't what?" Martha wondered. 

"You did. You married Mickey the idiot," The Doctor told her. Mickey sighed. 

"I told you he would be happy to see me," Mickey mumbled. 

"He is not an idiot," Martha argued the Doctor. The Doctor shook his head as he turned back towards the controls. He knew Mickey wasn't an idiot. In fact, he was proud of how Mickey had turned his life around from the young man who had coward at Rose's feet to the brave man who stood before him today. He wasn't about to let Mickey know that, though. Mumbling about apes, he set the time and coordinates once more before sending them on their way


	7. Chapter 7

While the Doctor piloted the TARDIS, Martha headed deeper into the TARDIS to change. As she entered the corridors the first room that she came to was the medi-bay. Curious she entered it to see Jack sleeping soundly on one of the beds. His wrist were secured to the side of the bed and his ankles to the bottom. Going to his bed, she pulled the nearest monitor over to herself. She reviewed Jack's current vitals as well as the vitals since he arrived. She could see why the Doctor had been worried about him. She resisted the temptation to brush the hair back from his head as she didn't want to wake him. Still wanting to do something, though, she straightened his blankets. He sighed softly in his sleep as he tried to turn on his side. He quickly gave up as the restraints forced him to stay on his back. He sighed and a soft snore followed. Martha bit her tongue to keep from laughing as she headed back to the corridor. 

Continuing along, she was surprised to find that her room was exactly like she left it and that she still had clothes on board from when she use to travel with him. She thought that he would have gotten rid of the room as soon as she left along with anything remaining inside it. Instead, she was able to dig through the drawers and find a pair of black slacks that still fit her along with a simple blouse. She changed out of her pure black clothes, throwing them into a laundry basket. Once dressed she pulled her hair back into a simple ponytail. She stared at herself in the mirror a moment, seeing a younger version of herself staring back. It had been a simpler time then before the year that she had walked the Earth by herself. That year had taught her how strong that she really could be allowing her to leave the Doctor behind. Turning away from the mirror she headed back to the control room. 

"Where are we going to put Steven?" Martha questioned as she entered the room. She grabbed the door frame as the TARDIS rocked violently then continued on her way. She no longer saw Mickey in the control room but figured that he went to change as well. 

"The TARDIS has a separate smaller medical room for children that I am going to put him into while he is being evaluated. Once we know more we can determine if it would be best to keep him separated or move him into the medi-bay with Jack," The Doctor answered. His voice had gone soft as he answered and Martha didn't have to ask why he had created the room. She walked over to him rubbing the side of his arm and he smiled softly at her. He moved away quickly to begin the landing sequence and set the TARDIS down with a small thud. 

"Where is Mickey?" Martha asked as he failed to enter the room again. 

"I asked him to sit with Jack in case he woke up while we were with Steven," The Doctor answered. He didn't bother to grab his coat as he stepped off the TARDIS with Martha. Together they entered a small empty room located inside the hospital. Martha led the way as they left the room looking for Alice and Steven. They walked as if they had a purpose but a nurse still stopped them almost immediately. 

"Can I help you?" The Nurse asked as she looked the two of them over. The Doctor smiled at her. 

"Yes, I am Doctor James McCrimmion and this is doctor Martha Jones. We were sent here to give a second opinion on Steven Carter," The Doctor told her as he reached into his pocket. He pulled out the psychic paper handing it to her. The nurse took it reading what was printed on the blank paper. 

"This way," the nurse replied. She led them down the hall stopping outside of one of the rooms. Opening the door the three of them entered to see Alice sitting by Steven's bed holding his hand. Steven was hooked to several monitors and a ventilator was breathing for him. 

"Thank you, nurse, we can take it from here," The Doctor told the woman. He waited until the nurse had left before turning his attention to Steven. He pulled out his sonic running it along Steven as he let it evaluate him. 

"Hello Alice," Martha said as she gave the Doctor a dirty look. "My name is Martha Jones and this is the Doctor. We are friend's of your father and came here to see if there is anything we can do for Steven."

"My father killed my baby and is too much of a coward to come here and save him," Alice spat angrily. She turned to look at Martha and Martha could see that her eyes were red and her face was streaked with tears. 

"I know. Your father is very sick. He is currently being treated by the Doctor. I know what he did to save the Earth and while I don't agree with his decision, I understand why he made it. Steven doesn't deserve to suffer for that decision and while you have no reason to trust us, I can promise you that we are only here to help," Martha advised her softly. She reached out for Alice's hand and Alice took it squeezing it tightly. 

"Can you save him?" Alice wondered softly. Martha turned to look at the Doctor. He was no longer scanning Steven, as he stood looking at the young boy grimly. Steven's young body was failing quickly and even with the technology that he had aboard the TARDIS, he wasn't sure that he could save him. He had to try, though.

"We are going to have to transfer him to the TARDIS. From there she can scan him and provide us with the best corse of treatment. It will depend, though, on how much brain activity he still has on how much of a recovery he will make," The Doctor explained. Alice's face fell. 

"The doctor's say he is brain dead," Alice sobbed. The Doctor made a rude noise with his mouth causing Alice to look at him with surprise. 

"I have access to technology that these doctors won't see within their lifetimes," The Doctor replied. He looked at Martha. "I am going to move the TARDIS into his room so that we can wheel him directly in without having to worry about the monitors. We can take over his breathing briefly and hook him up to the ventilator in the medical room."

"But only if you give us permission to treat him, Alice," Martha spoke up. Alice looked up at her hopefully. 

"Please save him," Alice begged. The Doctor hurried out of the room while Martha went over to the computer. She used the knowledge that she had of the hospital's database to quickly access Steven's records. She had just finished changing Steven's records to reflect that he was being transferred to another hospital when the sound of the TARDIS arriving filled the room. The Doctor rushed out with another bed to place Steven on. Working together they got him to the second bed and Martha took over his breathing as they all hurried into the TARDIS.

"How is it bigger on the inside?" Alice questioned as she paused in the doorway looking in wonder at the large room. She had already watched the Doctor come out of the TARDIS with a bed so she knew it had to be bigger but it surprised her how large the room actually was. 

"Yep, come on," the Doctor answered ushering her in. He wanted to be out of the hospital before the staff came back in as he really didn't want to explain the TARDIS to them. Alice came in the rest of the way and the Doctor closed the door behind her. He helped Martha wheel Steven into the small room that would be his treatment room. He took the time to hook Steven up to the TARDIS life support machines before rushing back to the control room. Sending the TARDIS into the vortex, he got her out just as quickly setting her down in a small field nearby. He locked the doors from the inside then hurried back to Steven's room. Ushering his mother out of the room, he had Martha take her to the kitchen for a cup of coffee while he ran scans. Once she was gone, he set the TARDIS to run a full body CT scan as well as MRI. He needed to know what he was dealing with if he was going to save the little boy. He just hoped that he wasn't too late.


	8. Chapter 8

Jack came slowly back to awareness. The first thing that he was aware of was the fact that he was still restrained to the bed. The next was the slow breathing of the Doctor sitting next to the bed observing him. The fact that the Doctor had sat there watching him sleep angered him and he turned to glare at him. 

"You just can't let me...." The rest of the sentence was cut off as he saw Mickey sitting next to his bed rather than the Doctor. Mickey had been looking at something on his phone while he waited for Jack to wake. Jack's immediate anger upon waking had surprised him, however, and he turned off the screen on his phone before lowering it so that he could look at the captain. "Mickey, thank god you're here. The Doctor has lost his mind and is holding me captive. You have to help me escape."

"No," Mickey said simply as he stared at Jack. While the Doctor didn't have time to tell him everything he had taken Mickey to the medi-bay to show him that Jack was restrained to the bed. He had then explained to Mickey that Jack was depressed and he was trying to help him. He had also told him that Jack was mad at him and wasn't ready to accept his help. Until he was he was going to remain restrained to the bed, so if he needed anything Mickey was going to have to get it for him. 

"What do you mean no?" Jack questioned angry once more as the hope that he would soon be free faded. "Don't tell me that the Doctor has already managed to brainwash you as well. I thought you were smarter than that."

"I am and he hasn't brainwashed me. He told me that he was trying to help you and I believe him," Mickey explained to Jack. Regardless of what had happened between him and the Doctor, in the beginning, he had grown to trust the man. That trust hadn't faded despite the fact that he hadn't seen him for awhile. 

"Of course, you would," Jack mumbled to himself. "If you aren't going to help me, then why are you here?"

"He asked me to sit with you in case you needed anything while him and Martha work on a project together," Mickey explained. Jack felt all the remaining hope that he had fade upon hearing that Martha was in on the Doctor's plan as well. He turned his head away from Mickey to stare at the opposite wall again. Regardless of how long he looked at the wall, he could find nothing interesting about it. It was a plain looking wall, just like the rest of the medi-bay. "Do you need anything?" Mickey wondered after a moment. 

"Just for you to let me go," Jack replied. It wasn't quite true as he was thirsty. He could also feel a dull ache in his lower abdomen which meant that he would need to use the loo soon. He wasn't about to ask Mickey mouse for a bottle to pee in, though. He still had more dignity than that. Even if he was restrained naked to a bed in the Doctor's medi-bay. He felt a tickle in his throat and he coughed trying to clear it. Who was he kidding? He had no dignity anymore. Any that had remained had been taken from him when the Doctor drugged him before carrying him naked out of his hotel room. In truth, it was gone long before that. 

"That isn't going to happen. Not without Martha or the Doctor's permission," Mickey told him making it clear that he wasn't going to be the one who made the decision of when the restraints were removed. Jack sighed loudly. 

"Then you can leave too," Jack snipped at him. Mickey leaned back in the chair. He didn't say anything as he lifted his cell phone and unlocked it. Jack glanced over at the young man who was making it perfectly clear that he had no intention of listening to Jack. Jack huffed loudly and slammed his head down on the pillow. It accomplished nothing but at least it made him feel slightly better as once more he began to pout. 

-DW-

"Are you alright, Doc?" Martha questioned as she returned to the Doctor's side. She had left Alice alone in the kitchen with a cup of coffee that Alice was sipping slowly. She wanted to keep Alice company but she couldn't keep listening to the stories that Alice was telling her about Steven. They had given Alice hope that they would be able to save her baby and Martha didn't want to take that hope away. She had left the kitchen to go and offer the Doctor assistance but was surprised to find him standing outside of Steven's room. He was facing the wall with one of his arms against the wall and his forehead leaning on his arm. He stood up quickly as she approached, however, wiping his face with his hand. In his other hand, he held a small device that looked like a tablet.

"Fine," He answered her quickly. She walked up to him reaching into her pocket as she grew closer. She pulled out a clean handkerchief and offered it to him. He didn't take it as he continued to stare forward.

"I know that it has been a long and tiring day for you as well Doctor. It's alright not to be fine," Martha told him. He glanced over at her and for a moment she saw the haunted look of memories in his eyes before it quickly faded. The mask that he wore was back and she wasn't going to get any answers out of him.

"I was just reviewing Steven's scans," The Doctor explained to her. He held the tablet so that she could see the results as well. The little boy had suffered not only damage to his brain but most of his internal organs as he sent out the signal. The scans more detailed than any scan from the twenty-first century so she was able to see exactly what damage had been done to his system. It was a miracle that he had lasted long enough to be placed on life support. Martha didn't see any hope of saving him. 

"It looks as if he was hit by a truck. Except he didn't break a single bone somehow while still suffering massive internal damage," Martha exclaimed. She took the tablet from the Doctor moving the scans so that she could review them better. "Did we give Alice false hope by bringing her on the TARDIS?"

"No," The Doctor answered softly. "The scans show that while he may have minimal brain activity, it is still there. If we act quickly we will be able to save him. It is just going to take extensive surgery and treatment. Even with the access to medications that I have, it will be several weeks before he is up and on his feet again. If he makes it that far. I can't promise that he won't die tonight or in three days from now but I'm not going to give up on him."

"Neither am I," Martha replied. The Doctor smiled down at her as he held his hand out for the tablet. Martha gave it to him. He didn't look at the image again as he turned off the screen and slipped the tablet into one of his pockets in case he needed to review it later. Opening the door to Steven's room, he allowed Martha to enter first as together they started the long and difficult journey to save Jack's grandson. He paused in the doorway, however, as he stared at the lifeless body lying on the small bed. Memories flashed before his eyes and he swallowed hard.

"Doctor?" Martha asked as he started to back away. 

"I forgot I need to grab something from the medi-bay. I will be right back," The Doctor told her. Martha didn't miss the fact that he took off running the opposite direction of the medi-bay towards the bedrooms. Knowing he needed a moment, she went back into Steven's room to run his vitals before taking a seat to wait for the Doctor's return.


	9. Chapter 9

The Doctor ran to his bedroom and straight through to the loo. He fell on his knees in front of the toilet as his body tried to reject everything that he had ever eaten. He had been a feared Warrior during the Time War fighting on the front line of many battles. Due to the size of the war more than once he had fought alongside civilians or forced them out of the way back towards the safety of shelters. During that time he had come across more than one injured child. Some he was able to get to the medics for help but others he had no choice except to try to treat himself. Many of the children didn't make it despite his best efforts. Now, in his mind, he was no longer seeing Steven laying in that small room but every Time Lord child that he failed to save that entered that room. 

Faces were flashing before his eyes and he refused to count them again. He already knew how many children had died the final day of the war. He had caused all of their deaths in order to save the rest of the universe and he wasn't about to let another child die. Feeling more determined, he forced himself to his feet. He flushed the toilet before washing his face. He used his hands to form a small bowl filling it with the cool water. He took a sip rinsing out his mouth first. He then drank several mouthfuls before feeling refreshed. He looked at himself in the mirror, seeing that his eyes were bright red. He ignored them as he ran his fingers through his hair so that it was sticking up straight in the messy way that he liked. Turning away, he left his room going to the medi-bay. 

"So you brainwashed Mickey and Martha into helping you hold me hostage," Jack snipped at him as he entered. 

"I asked Martha to come and help me with something," The Doctor answered vaguely as he went to his medicine cabinet. He really wasn't in the mood with dealing with Jack's anger at the moment. "Martha was the one who insisted on bringing Mickey."

"Did you take another hostage?" Jack questioned him. The Doctor turned to glare at him. 

"You're not my hostage. I brought you on board the TARDIS so that I could help you," The Doctor snapped back at him. Jack glared back at the Doctor happy that he finally got him to yell back. The Doctor pocketed several vials of medicine alone with a few syringes before slamming the cupboard. He stormed over to a drawer and pulled it open roughly causing the items inside to rattle. 

"Some help you've been," Jack told him snidely happy that he was finally getting on the Doctor's nerves. Something was bothering the Doctor and he planned on taking full advantage of it. 

"You're not dead," The Doctor started to reply as he slammed an item down on the counter from the drawer. 

"Only because I'm immortal and if I remember correctly that is your fault as well," Jack yelled at him. The Doctor slammed the drawer closed. He stormed over to Jack leaning down so that he was almost face to face with him.

"I know you hate me at the moment for saving your life but I refuse to take you back to that hotel room," The Doctor sneered at him. 

"Then you left me knee deep in Dalek dust just so that you could sleep with Rose," Jack continued acting as if he didn't even hear the Doctor. "Well guess what. I slept with her first. You should have heard the noises that she made," Jack went on. Even if the Doctor knew that he was lying, he had to stop himself from punching Jack. He clenched his fist several times as he leaned even closer so that the tips of their noses were touching. 

"Keep testing my patience and I will make sure that I find a way to make sure that you stay dead," The Doctor hissed at him. 

"I'd like to see you try," Jack whispered back a small smile on his face. 

"Boss," Mickey spoke up with a warning in his voice. The Doctor straightened up. He didn't look at Mickey as he stormed back to the counter. He picked up the few items off of it and carried them out of the medi-bay to Steven's room. Martha was sitting by Steven's bed running through his vitals. She looked up at the Doctor with concern as he stormed into the room. Pulling the items out of his pockets, he sat them down on the table. He picked up one vial filling the syringe halfway before picking up a second vial and filling it the rest of the way. 

"Doctor?" Martha questioned softly. 

"Just don't," The Doctor replied. He turned heading over to the bed. He took Steven's arm and emptied the syringe into the cannula. Steven's heart slowed even further but due to the ventilator, his breathing remained the same.

"What did you do?" Martha wondered as she worried the Doctor had made a mistake in his anger. 

"I am giving his body a chance to heal. The medication is taking him further into the coma so that his body can concentrate on healing," The Doctor explained to her.

"Kind of like the healing coma that you go into," Martha stated. The Doctor nodded. 

"Being human he can't reach a proper healing coma. However, medicine that will be developed came close to stimulating one. His heart will continue to slow until but his blood is going to be taking in extra oxygen to compensate," The Doctor answered as he filled another syringe. This one he carefully injected into Steven's bicep. "We will need to switch him over to a high energy drip to make sure that his body is receiving the proper nutrition that it needs in order to heal. We are also going to have to monitor him closely to make sure that his heart doesn't stop completely."

"Will we still need to perform surgery even with this medication?" Martha questioned and the Doctor nodded. 

"His body will still need assistance in repairing large tears. We will need to give the medicine about an hour to start working and then I will inject a dye into his blood that will be able to be picked up by the CT scan. From there we can determine the extent of the surgery that he will need," The Doctor answered. He went back to the table. He looked at the supplies and saw that in his anger he had forgotten to grab the high energy drip. Irritated with himself, he stormed back across the corridor. He ignored Jack taunting him as he got into the supplies cupboard. 

"Tell him, Mickey. Tell him how she moaned," Jack stated loudly. 

"Shut up," Mickey answered as Jack tried to get him to join in on explaining what it was like to sleep with Rose. 

"Mickey Mouse," Jack mumbled. 

"Captain Cheesecake," Mickey taunted him back. The Doctor didn't answer as he hurried back to Steven's side. He had already let Jack get to him once and he wasn't going to let it happen again. He changed over the drip for the high energy one before taking Martha's chair by Steven's side. It was too early to update Alice on Steven's condition but Martha chose to go explain what they had planned. She also decided to tell her that Jack was on board in case she wanted to talk to him. 

"I don't want to ever see that man again," Alice responded to the news that Jack was across the hall from Steven. She had already figured out that Jack was on board based on the Doctor saying that he was treating Jack. She wasn't ready to see him, though, as she was still furious at her father for using Steven to stop the 456. 

"I know you don't want to hear it but your father is sick as well. Everything that happened with the 456 has called him to fall into a deep depression," Martha told her. Alice picked up her coffee cup turning away from Martha as she took a drink. 

"I know what you are trying to do Martha but I can't forgive him for hurting my baby while he is still fighting for his life," Alice answered her. Martha nodded. She reached out and took Alice's shoulder in her hand giving it a gentle squeeze. Alice pulled away from her. 

"I'm going to go back to Steven. I will update you as soon as I know anything," Martha told her. 

"Thank you," Alice answered softly. Martha paused in the doorway watching as Alice turned back to stare down at the table once more. There was a lot of pain on the TARDIS at the moment. She could even hear it in the TARDIS's familiar song as she hummed softly. Taking a deep breath, Martha held her head high as she returned to the Doctor's side.


	10. Chapter 10

When the hour was up, the Doctor injected the dye into Steven's blood before setting the TARDIS to run another full body scan. Neither one of them were happy with the results as it was amazing that Steven's young body had managed to hang on this long. Even with the medicine helping his body to heal he was going to need surgery. It was obvious that the medical team at the hospital had tried to save his life but the damage was too extensive. At the very least he was going to lose his left kidney and he had a small bleed going from his liver into his abdomen. It wasn't bleeding enough to kill him immediately but it was an obvious issue.

"We are going to have to take him to the sterile room in the main medi-bay. From there the two of us can perform the surgery while the TARDIS monitors the anaesthesia to make sure that he stays under," the Doctor stated as he looked over the scans.

"Jack's in the medi-bay," Martha reminded the Doctor. The Doctor looked over at her. 

"I know but I need that sterile room," The Doctor informed her. He turned away from her heading towards the door. He paused with his hand on the door handle. "I am going to go show Mickey how to feed Jack through the tube while you inform Alice about Steven going into surgery."

"Alright," Martha agreed. The Doctor went through to the medi-bay picking up the large syringe along with the formula to feed Jack. He carried them over to the bed. 

"I am going to be in surgery for at least the next four hours. During that time Jack is going to need to eat at least once more. Have you ever tube fed anyone before Mickey?" The Doctor asked as he approached the bed. Mickey shook his head no. "That's alright I will walk you through how to fill the syringe and connect it. You can help me feed him this time and then again in three hours if he still refuses to eat."

"It kind of looks like my," Jack began. Whatever he was going to say though was cut off by Mickey placing his hand over Jack's mouth. He was sick of hearing it as Jack had continued to explain what he had done with Rose even after the Doctor left the room. Jack licked Mickey's hand and Mickey made a face but didn't pull his hand away. He left his hand in place as he watched on listening as the Doctor explained how to fill the syringe properly. He showed Mickey how to connect it to the end of the tube then slowly push the formula in through the tube. Mickey felt a shudder go through Jack's body as the Doctor fed him and Jack glared up at the two of them. 

"Here you try it," The Doctor told Mickey as he held out the syringe to him. Mickey removed his hand from Jack's mouth so that he could take it. 

"I am going to kill all of you once I am freed from this bed," Jack snapped angrily. The Doctor ignored him as he continued to patiently instruct Mickey on the proper way to feed Jack. "I am going to break free, find my gun and force you to regenerate."

"Shut up," Mickey snipped at him continuing to help the Doctor. Once the syringe was empty, the Doctor showed him how to clean it so that the formula wouldn't turn sour as it sat in the tube. He didn't want to make Jack sick but to help him. As he finished up, Martha appeared in the doorway. 

"I have received permission to perform the surgery," she informed the Doctor as she watched the two of them work. Mickey always talked about how he didn't think the Doctor liked him very much but from what Martha was observing it seemed that the Doctor cared greatly for the young man. He was being patient while he explained the proper way to care for Jack so that they didn't accidentally make him sick or hurt him. 

"I am just about done here with Jack. I just want to run over his vitals before I go," The Doctor answered. Martha waited patiently while the Doctor checked on Jack's vitals. He had to fight Jack to prick his finger so that he could take a small drop of blood to test his blood sugar levels. Jack swore at him as he stuck his finger quickly with a needle. The results came back normal, however, showing that his body was digesting the food that he was receiving properly. Once the Doctor was sure that Jack was stable, he went to the small room to retrieve Steven. He didn't say anything as he unlocked the wheels on Steven's bed and with Martha's help wheeled him into the medi-bay.

"Steven?" Jack questioned with his voice barely above a whisper. He was feeling sick as he saw the small body. He blinked twice trying to clear his eyes as he couldn't believe that it was his grandson laying on the bed. "Where's Alice?"

"She's in the kitchen," Martha answered. Jack was pale now and slightly green causing Martha to worry he was going to be sick. She couldn't pause, though, until they had Steven in the sterile room. She hooked him up to the monitors before heading back out into the medi-bay. Stopping off at the supplies cupboard she grabbed a small bucket bringing it over to the bed for Mickey to hold. 

"Can," Jack started to ask. He swallowed hard before trying again. "Can you save him?"

"We are going to do our best. He is in bad shape but the Doctor has faith that we can help him," Martha answered. Jack nodded, unable to answer as tears filled his eyes and his throat felt thick. He had been treating the Doctor horribly, yet, he was still willing to try to right one of Jack's wrongs by trying to save his grandson. Jack didn't know if it was possible but if the Doctor thought he could, Jack believed him. Feeling even worse about himself, Jack slumped on the bed. In three hours, he was going to be fed again whether he liked it or not. Maybe it was time that he tried to eat something. 

"I am going to help the Doctor. Do you need anything before we go?" Martha questioned interrupting his thoughts. 

"No," Jack squeaked with his voice cracking. He cleared his throat before trying again. "No." 

"Then I am leaving you in Mickey's hands," Martha told him. She kissed Mickey softly on the lips. He reached up squeezing her arm comfortingly as they kissed slowly for a moment. A throat clearing behind her made her look up. The Doctor was standing across the medi-bay watching them. She kissed Mickey quickly one last time before going to join the Doctor. Regardless of whether she was ready or not, it was time to save Steven.


	11. Chapter 11

In an effort not to think about what Martha and the Doctor were doing to save his grandson, Jack closed his eyes leaning back against the bed. He tried to picture a happier time with Steven and Alice. Back when Steven was alive. In his mind, he saw Steven running towards him his arms stretched open wide. Jack knelt down to catch his grandson in his arms. Just before he reached him, however, Steven collapsed to the ground. Jack was unable to help the child as his young body seized from sending the signal back to the 456. Jack felt his stomach flip. His mouth watered fiercely and he was unable to warn Mickey. Thankfully Mickey was watching and was able to get the bucket to him before he was sick. The taste of the formula on his tongue was horrible and caused him to be sick again.

"Water," He whimpered as he fought getting sick for a third time. Mickey helped him to take a small sip. He swished it around his mouth spitting it into the bucket before taking another drink. This one he swallowed relishing the feeling of it. He took several more mouth fulls, then collapsed back on the bed. "Thank you."

"Don't mention it," Mickey answered in disgust. He took the bucket over to the chute for the incinerator and pushed it down, just wanting to get rid of the horrible thing. He was regretting his decision to follow Martha back onto the TARDIS as he didn't realize he was going to be a nurse. At least it was better than being the tin dog. He sat down beside Jack's bed again keeping him company while they waited. Jack couldn't sleep but he didn't want to talk. He stared at the door waiting for it to open with news of how his grandson was doing. 

"I should be in there helping them," Jack whispered at last. He tugged weakly on the restraints knowing that he wasn't going to be able to break free. The last time he had tried he had only accomplished hurting his arms and legs. Mickey pretended not to hear him as he looked towards the time. It had only been just over an hour since they went into surgery and by the Doctor's estimate, they still had a several hour wait. Standing up, he stretched turning his attention to Jack. 

"I'm going to get a cup of coffee. Do you want anything?" Mickey questioned Jack. 

"Coffee and maybe something to eat. The Doctor keeps saying I need to eat solid food but I doubt he has anything other than bananas on board. I really don't want a banana," Jack complained half-heartedly. While he knew he had to eat, he wasn't that hungry due to the fact that he had been sick a short time ago. Still, he hoped that by asking for food he would at least avoid being fed by formula again. 

"I'll see what I can find," Mickey laughed. Making his way out of the medi-bay, he went to the kitchen. Alice barely looked up from her own cup of coffee that was sitting in front of her. She had both hands wrapped around it, holding it tightly. A quick glance, however, revealed that she hadn't drank any of it. "Would you like a fresh cup of coffee?"

"No," Alice responded softly her voice thick with unshed tears. 

"You don't have to sit in here alone. You could come join me and Jack in the medi-bay," Mickey offered. Alice shook her head no. She had waited alone during Steven's first surgery when the doctor's had told her that there was no hope. That her baby, that had been so full of life the day before, was brain dead. At least now she was sitting there with hope, regardless of how small it was, that her son would wake. She had no idea how much of a life he would have. She reached up wiping the tears off her cheeks as she continued to pray silently that this was just a bad dream. That she would wake up in their small home with her son smiling at her as he got ready for school. She would hold him close and tell him that she loved him before sending him on his way. "Alice?"

"Please just leave me alone," Alice whispered turning away from Mickey. Mickey sighed. Going to the cupboards he dug through them. He found mainly bananas, just as Jack had predicted but he also found a pack of biscuits as well as a loaf of bread. He pulled out the bread placing it in the toaster while he made Jack and himself a cup of coffee. Once the toast was done, he placed it on a small plate and carried it back to the medi-bay. 

"I am going to loosen your hand so that you are able to eat," Mickey told Jack. 

"Alright," Jack agreed. He didn't fight, nor did he try to escape as Mickey took the restraint off of his right wrist. It felt good to be able to stretch his arm and Jack happily scratched the end of his nose. He picked up the coffee taking a long drink then started on the toast. The next few hours were silent as the two of them waited for the surgery to finish. Every once in a while, Mickey would stand and go to the kitchen to check on Alice or make them fresh coffee. He gave Jack a bottle to use, then took the time to empty it rather than just throw it away again. Time passed slowly in the silence while they waited impatiently. 

Four hours passed, then five. Another hour and a half passed before the door to the sterile room finally opened. Both the Doctor and Martha looked exhausted as they wheeled Steven out into the medi-bay and back into the small side room. Jack was anxious to know how his grandson was doing but he also knew that he had to wait. They needed to go through postop exams first and Alice also needed to be informed before they would speak to him. If they spoke to him. He was only Steven's grandfather after all and therefore had no legal rights to demand information. 

"How is he?" He still asked anxiously as the Doctor returned to the medi-bay a short time later. He had a hot cup of tea in his hand and he sat gratefully as Mickey vacated the seat next to the bed.

"He is stable. We found more damage than we expected once we started the surgery but he is a fighter, Jack," The Doctor informed him. Noticing that Jack's hand was loose, he reached out to check the restraint. He wasn't sure why Mickey had chosen to unlock it but it was clear that Jack hadn't broken them. He looked Jack over, seeing a half-eaten piece of toast along with a cup of coffee. 

"Is he going to make it?" Jack wondered with his voice shaking.

"He lost his left kidney, most of his liver and has had to have various repairs made. He is weak and still reliant on the ventilator to breathe. We plan to give him a few days to recover before trying to wean him off of it. As I said before, he is a fighter. I am going to do everything I can to help him. We have high hopes, though, that he will survive. How much of a life he will have is going to take more time to determine. He still has a long recovery period in front of him including physical therapy," The Doctor explained. Jack took a deep breath while the Doctor hadn't been straight forward with his answer, he had still allowed Jack hope that his grandson would live.

"When you see Alice again, will you please tell her I'm sorry," Jack questioned. 

"Of course. Now I am going to check on Steven. Then I need to move the TARDIS so that we can bring food aboard. So if there is anything that you want please let Martha know," The Doctor informed Jack He reached out squeezing Jack's shoulder before making his way to Steven's room. He was exhausted but there was no time to rest, not yet. He still had work to do first.


	12. Chapter 12

After making sure that Steven was hooked up properly to the life support systems and running through the post-op checks, it was time to speak to Alice. The Doctor was quiet as he followed Martha to the TARDIS kitchen to find that Alice hadn't moved from her spot at the table the entire time that Steven was in surgery. She had to be sore from sitting for so long, yet, she seemed lost in her thoughts and barely even looked up as the two of them entered. Martha looked over to the Doctor for support and saw that he was just as pale as Alice with his lips sucked in over his teeth. She could tell the Doctor was already close to breaking so rather than make him stay, she helped him make a cup of tea and sent him to be with Jack while she took the harder job of speaking to Alice. Over her many years as a doctor and UNIT medic, she had to tell to someone that their loved one was severely injured or had not survived the surgery. It never got any easier, especially when there were children involved. Sitting down across from Alice she reached out taking her hand. Alice didn't return the grip, instead choosing to leave her hand laying limply on the table.

"Did he?" Alice started to ask. She paused as she swallowed hard before trying again. "Did he make it?"

"Yes," Martha answered. "I'm not going to lie to you Alice, Steven is still in critical shape and the next twenty-four hours are going to be crucial to whether he lives or dies. We have him currently in a medically induced coma to allow his body to heal but we found more damage than we expected. He lost his left kidney, most of his liver and we had to make repairs to his intestines as well as stomach. We are hoping to avoid performing surgery on his brain, but it is still a possibility as he is showing signs of swelling."

"But will he be alright?" Alice asked Martha. She looked up at Martha with her bloodshot eyes. Her face was still tear-stained and she needed a shower. Martha was going to suggest that she rest soon. If necessary she could provide her with a sleeping pill and she was positive the TARDIS would provide her with a room. 

"I have faith that the Doctor can save him, though. He has access to medications and procedures that the twenty-first-century doctors never have even dreamed of. We are going to do everything possible to save him, though," Martha told her side-stepping her question.

"Please, Martha," Alice begged seeing right through what Martha was trying to do. Martha sighed softly. 

"As of this moment, he maybe has maybe a thirty percent chance of surviving. If he survives the night those odds will increase. I don't know how much of a life we can give him but we will do everything in our power to give you your son back," Martha promised.

"Can I see him?" Alice questioned softly.

"Of course," Martha answered. Standing up she waited for Alice to find her feet. Alice took a moment to pull herself up from the table. Her legs were shaking as she followed Martha out of the kitchen and slowly down the hall towards Steven's room. "We still have him hooked up to life support and he has IV's in both arms providing him nutrition. I also want to warn you that the monitors are going to show that his heart is beating slower. The Doctor gave him a medication that will allow him to take in more oxygen, so as long as his heart doesn't stop completely he is fine."

Together they entered Steven's room. Alice paused in the doorway looking her son over. He looked small in the large bed with all the monitors hooked to his body. The blankets were folded down to his waist and the bandages from his surgery showed clearly against his pale skin. Martha waited until, Alice stepped closer to the bed, taking Steven's hand in hers. She leaned down kissing him softly on the forehead as she ran his fingers through his hair. 

"I'm here, baby," She whispered to him. Martha stepped forward moving a chair closer to Alice so that she could sit next to her son. Alice fell back into it gratefully as she wasn't sure that her legs were going to support her any further. Her heart was aching seeing her son lying on the bed and she would have given anything for him to open his eyes and smile at her. 

"Steven is stable at the moment. I am going to go across the hall into the medi-bay where I will still be able to monitor him. If you need anything, don't hesitate to ask. We are here for both of you," Martha told her sincerely. 

"I just need him to be alright," Alice answered. Martha didn't answer her. Instead, she squeezed Alice's shoulder for a second in what she hoped was a comforting manner. She couldn't tell Alice that Steven would be alright at this point because she didn't know and she meant what she said about not wanting to lie to her. Releasing Alice, she made her way back out into the hall. The Doctor was making his way out of the medi-bay and he paused to lean against the wall. 

"Alice is in the room with Steven at the moment. I just checked his vitals and he is stable, so it is alright to let her have a moment alone with her son," Martha informed the Doctor. The Doctor nodded his agreement. 

"I am going to move the TARDIS so that we can get food on board and then take a shower. Would you mind going to the store to pick up groceries?" The Doctor questioned, not just assuming that Martha would be willing.

"I want to talk to Jack, but I will ask Mickey," Martha replied. 

"Alright," The Doctor agreed, he turned toward the control room to move the TARDIS.

"Oh, and Doctor," Martha called out after him. He turned to look at her as he stopped mid-stride. "Get some sleep after your shower, you look exhausted." The Doctor saluted her with two fingers before making his way to the console again. He knew she was right and that he needed to sleep. That didn't mean he was going to. There was still too much that needed to be done before he could consider resting. Martha watched him go a moment before heading into the medi-bay. Mickey was sitting by Jack's bed and the two of them looked at her as she entered. 

"Mickey, the Doctor is in the process of moving the TARDIS so that we can bring groceries on board. Would you mind going shopping so that I can talk to Jack for a little while?" Martha questioned him. Mickey's face fell.

"So I am just the tin dog," Mickey mumbled not thinking that Martha would be able to hear him. 

"You're not just a tin dog. You are my husband and best friend. I would go shopping myself but I need to help the Doctor monitor Steven," Martha started to explain going over to him. She kissed him softly on the lips. Mickey kissed her back. "I love you, Mickey Smith."

"I love you too, Martha Smith," Mickey responded. He kissed her again as he stood up, pulling her up into his arms. Martha giggled kissing him once more as she was just happy to have a moment with her husband. Looking over his shoulder, though, she saw Jack staring at them. He still had the feeding tube down his throat and he looked like hell. Mickey followed Martha's eyes and then set her down. "Need anything in particular?"

"Not that I can think of," Martha answered. She didn't watch Mickey leave the medi-bay as she stepped closer to Jack. Jack was watching her warily, unsure what she wanted to talk about. He didn't want to discuss Ianto, his grandson, or trying to kill himself. The only reason he was even behaving at the moment was because they were trying to save Steven or he would have used his free hand to escape already.

"I don't need to talk," He told Martha as she pulled up a seat beside him. Martha crossed her arms. 

"Yes, you do and I need to know what happened with the 456 so I know how I can save Steven," Martha told him. She knew it was a low move but it had the desired effect. Jack may have not wanted to talk but he would do anything to save his grandson and put things right again with his daughter. Taking a shallow breath he began to speak.


	13. Chapter 13

Jack didn't answer her right away as he looked towards the door Steven had been taken through. He had thought for so long that his grandson was dead that it was hard for him to believe that he had a chance to recover. He just wanted to go in there and see Steven. To know that his grandson was pulling through despite the pain that he had caused his little body. 

 

"Can I see Steven?" Jack asked softly not answering Martha's question right away. Martha smiled softly as she shook her head no. 

 

"Alice is in there right now and she has made it clear that she doesn't want to see you. On top of that, despite the fact that your hand has been released from the restraints, you still haven't been cleared to move around the TARDIS on your own. I can change that but you need to talk to me first," Martha informed Jack. Jack turned his head away feeling a tear slip down his cheek. He didn't blame his daughter for not wanting to see him but it still hurt to hear Martha say it. 

 

"Can I have a drink of water?" Jack asked stalling still. 

 

"Of course," Martha replied. She held the cup of water for him allowing him to take a drink from the straw. Jack took a long drink trying to buy more time before he had to speak. Martha saw right through his act, though, moving the cup away from him after a moment. 

 

"Alright, so why don't you tell me what you know about the 456 and what led you to make the decision to use Steven to reflect the signal," Martha told him. Jack swallowed hard. He wasn't sure where to start so he decided to start back at the very beginning. 

 

"Back in 1965, the 456 first appeared on the Earth demanding children and so help us, we gave them the children that they asked for. In exchange for the children they gave us the cure to the Spanish flu, saving millions. So I did what Torchwood asked me to and I gave them the twelve children. Well, eleven children as one of the children managed to escape. For years, I justified to myself that I was doing the right thing by saving millions for the twelve orphans that no one would miss. But when the 456 returned I couldn't do it again. This time, they wanted 10% of the children on Earth and the world leaders were going to give them the children. It was a sacrifice that I couldn't make again," Jack explained to her. 

 

"I was cocky and thought that I could talk to them and tell them they couldn't have any more of the Earth's children. That is when," Jack paused swallowing hard. "That is when they took Ianto from me along with everyone else who was in the building that day. " He went quiet again, tears pouring down his cheeks. 

 

"Then what happened?" Martha questioned when he didn't speak up again. 

 

"I can't," Jack whispered hoarsely as he sobbed. He didn't want to continue. He didn't want to remember holding Ianto as his lover begged him never to forget him. He didn't want to see his grandson convulsing on the ground after he used him to turn the signal back on the 456. 

 

"Jack," Martha said softly. 

 

"I can't," Jack screamed at her as loudly as he could with his sore throat. He started to cough causing Martha to sigh. 

 

"You're alright," she told him as she used the controls to raise the back of the bed so that he was sitting half way up. She handed him a handkerchief to wipe his face with and he blew his nose. He kept sobbing deeply not wanting to talk and Martha didn't force him to. They had made more progress than she expected in a short time. Especially with his refusal to talk with the Doctor. "Do you want another drink?"

 

"No," Jack responded as he started to cough again. He gasped for breath as he continued to cough his back arching away from the bed. Martha assisted him the best she could until he finally collapsed back against the bed breathing hard. When she offered him a drink of water, this time, he accepted it. 

 

"There you go isn't that better," Martha cooed softly. Jack glared at her. 

 

"Don't patronize me," Jack snipped at her. 

 

"Sorry," Martha answered him automatically. She helped Jack get as comfortable as he could be on the bed with restraints. She left his right-hand loose, hoping that she didn't come to regret the decision as she had to check on Steven. With Jack comfortable, she made her way across the hall to Steven. Alice was still in the room with her son. She was holding his hand tightly in her own with her head rested on the bed. She sat up straighter as Martha entered the room. 

 

"I am going to check Steven's vitals. After I can show you to a bedroom so that you can sleep for a few hours," Martha told her. Alice shook her head no. 

 

"I don't want to leave my son," Alice stated again. Martha knelt down so that she was eye-level with Alice. 

 

"You won't be far. I am positive that the TARDIS can make you a room just a few doors down from him and I promise that I will come and get you the moment anything changes. I know that you are afraid but you need to think of yourself as well. When is the last time that you had a shower as well as a few hours of sleep?" Martha questioned her. 

 

"I don't know," Alice answered her honestly. 

 

"Then it has been too long," Martha told her. Standing up straight again, she moved to the monitor to run through Steven's vitals. She checked his bandages and then his IV's to make sure that they were running clearly. Once she was sure that Steven was still stable, she motioned for Alice to follow her. Alice gave her son a soft kiss on the head before following Martha out of the room. True to her word, Martha was able to place Alice in a room a few doors down. There were fresh clothes laying on the bed for her as well as a towel. The door to the bathroom was open revieling that the tub was already full and waiting. Even if she was reluctant to leave her son, the water looked like bliss and Alice made her way towards the bathroom. 

 

Leaving her Martha made one final stop off at the Doctor's room. She was happy to see that despite his protest, he was sleeping soundly on top of the blankets that covered his bed. Martha entered the room going to the cupboard. She knew from previous experience that he kept extra blankets in it just in case. Pulling out a thin blanket, she returned to the Doctor covering him. He snuffled in his sleep turning his head away from to bury it beneath the blanket. Martha tried not to chuckle as she left the room allowing him to sleep. With nothing else to do for a moment, Martha headed to the kitchen to make herself a cuppa while she waited for Mickey to return. 


	14. Chapter 14

The next few days were subdue aboard the TARDIS as everyone worried about Steven. While he had made it through the surgery and survived the night, he remained in critical condition not showing any signs that he was going to pull through. He remained completely reliant on machines to keep him alive. Alice barely left his side except to eat and sleep. On Martha's urging, she would take short walks around the garden to stretch her legs for short periods and talking with Martha. They spoke about Steven and her life before everything changed for him. Even if she had never seen Steven before, she was coming to know the happy athletic boy that he had been. She just hoped that she could give that child back to his mother. As they talked, they avoided the subject of Jack as well as walking past the medi-bay, refusing to see her father even if she knew that he was there. 

Jack, on the other hand, didn't speak at all. The Doctor spent a lot of time by Jack's side trying to coax him into talking about what happened. Jack refused to look at the Time Lord staring up at the ceiling as the Doctor spoke to him. He was still restrained to the bed, yet he no longer fought as his right hand was released periodically to allow him to eat or to use a bottle. He seemed to have completely lost his will to fight against the Doctor. The Doctor didn't think that Jack had accepted that he needed help but had fallen into a deep depression that he couldn't hide from with alcohol. He had to deal with the pain that he had brought on others as well as his own body. He didn't care as the Doctor started him on pills for his depression nor did he care about any of the other medications that the Doctor gave him. He knew the Doctor wouldn't intentionally kill him and a part of him hated the Doctor for not putting him out of his misery. 

"We are going to start weaning Steven off of the ventilator today. While we don't expect him to take over his breathing completely yet, we are hoping to have him off of the ventilator by the time we start bringing him out of the medically-induced coma," The Doctor explained to Jack. Jack rolled his eyes over to look at the Doctor. He wasn't stupid and he knew that just because they stopped the medication to keep him under, it didn't mean that he would wake up. The Doctor had kept him informed of Steven's lack of progress and he feared that he would be burying his grandson soon rather than helping him to recover. The Doctor waited expectantly for Jack to say something, Jack instead chose to roll his eyes back up at the ceiling of the TARDIS.

Sighing, the Doctor stood up making his way out into the corridor. Martha was there leaning against the wall as she waited for the Doctor to finish speaking with Jack. She wasn't close enough to hear what the Doctor was saying, as she tried to give them privacy in case Jack ever decided to answer him. Three days had passed, though, since they had their conversation about the 456 and Jack had yet to say anything more. 

"Still not talking?" Martha questioned. The Doctor shook his head no leaning against the wall across from her. He felt the TARDIS hum through him trying to comfort him. He patted the wall as he opened his mind further to her. She wrapped herself around him, singing softly and sadly knowing that her thief was hurting.

"I never thought that I would miss him flirting with everyone," The Doctor told her after a moment. 

"Do you?" Martha wondered in surprise. The Doctor thought about it a moment. 

"Maybe a little," He chuckled softly. It felt strange to laugh after how quite the TARDIS had been the last few days and he quickly stopped looking towards Steven's door. 

"You know that it is okay to laugh, Doctor," Martha questioned him. While the TARDIS was more somber than ever before, she had her husband to help her through the hard times. Mickey was her rock and she was thankful that he had agreed to come back aboard the TARDIS with her. He helped her step back for a few hours each night as they ate dinner together and then rested. The Doctor, though, had no one but Jack to turn to and Jack had fallen further than ever before. The Doctor couldn't pull Jack back out of his depression if he didn't take a moment for himself. It was the same thing that she tried to explain to Alice, but both of them refused to listen to her. 

"I know," The Doctor answered not wanting to hear it. He pushed himself away from the wall heading into the room where Steven was located. Alice was sitting by his bed but the room was quiet besides the sound of the machines that were keeping him alive. With Martha's help, they ran through his vitals and checked the stitches that covered his abdomen. He was healing well and they were both relieved to see no signs of infection. Martha cleaned his incision and then placed a new bandage over his stomach.

"We are going to turn off the ventilator now to try to allow him to breathe on his own. Remember he may not take over right away as he is still weak. If he doesn't, we will turn the ventilator right back on and try again tomorrow," Martha reminded Alice. Alice gripped her son's hand tightly as Martha turned off the machine. 

"You can do it, baby," Alice encouraged Steven as they waited for him to take a breath. Martha didn't move away from the ventilator as the Doctor listened carefully for any signs that Steven was going to breathe on his own. It was a tense moment before the Doctor smiled. 

"There you go but you're going to have to take a deeper breath than that," The Doctor encouraged as Steven took a short shallow breath pausing before trying to take another. Alice leaned over kissing Steven on the side of his head as tears of happiness ran down her face. They waited as long as they could but Steven's breathing didn't pick up and his oxygen levels were falling fast. Martha turned the ventilator back on allowing the machines to assist with his breathing again.

"He did well. We are going to assist him again for now and try again later. If his breathing picks up, we will switch him to an oxygen mask that will assist him to take deeper breaths until he does it on his own," Martha informed Alice. Alice nodded kissing her son again. 

"Rest now, baby. You did so well today," Alice told him feeling hopeful once more that he would recover. When he had been first taken to the hospital they had told her that he wouldn't survive the night. Now thanks to the Doctor and Martha he had breathed on his own for a short time. Her son was a fighter and she had no doubt that he would continue to get stronger. She looked up at the Doctor, swallowing hard before she asked her next question. "When will he wake up?"

"It's hard to say. He still has a lot of healing to do but today shows that he is making progress and while there will be setbacks as long as he fights we will continue to remove forward," Martha answered vaguely. While it wasn't the answer that Alice wanted because Martha didn't say he would wake up, it also didn't take her hope away. They ran through his vitals one more time before the Doctor left the room to tell Jack the good news. 

"He breathed on his own for a short while," the Doctor told Jack happily. He thought that Jack would be happy to hear the news so he was slightly surprised when Jack didn't smile back as tears filled his eyes. They quickly streamed down the sides of his face as he sobbed. Not knowing what else to do, the Doctor climbed up on the bed holding Jack as he cried.


	15. Chapter 15

As Jack sobbed, the Doctor leaned up to unhook Jack's right wrist and not worrying about the consequences he let Jack's left-hand free as well. Letting go of Jack completely for just a moment, he sat up and for the first time since Jack arrived on the TARDIS freed his ankles. Laying back down, he took Jack into his arms once more. Jack sobbed harder as he turned to face the Doctor burying his face against the Doctor's chest. He held onto the Doctor's shirt sobbing deeply. The Doctor ran his hand soothingly along Jack's back as he let him cry. Jack had needed to cry for a few days now, to release the pain that he was holding. The Doctor was just relieved that the dam had finally broken so rather than telling him to stop or reassuring him that he was alright, he instead held him quietly. His shirt was soaked in Jack's tears by the time that Jack finally went quiet in his arms. 

"Do you want a drink of water?" The Doctor asked softly. Jack nodded against his chest, as he made no move to release the Doctor. Rolling slightly, the Doctor reached behind himself for the cup that was sitting on the bedside table. He brought it to Jack's mouth holding it for him as he swallowed the cool liquid. Jack took several large drinks before coughing. The Doctor moved the cup away as he forced Jack to sit up. Jack clung to him not willing to relinquish the comfort that the Doctor gave him yet. It no longer mattered whether or not he hated him or loved him. The Doctor had saved his grandson, giving him back the life that Jack almost took. With that thought, the tears began to flow again. 

"That's it just let it all out," The Doctor comforted him as Jack began to cry again. He wasn't sure why Jack had begun to cry again but that didn't matter. He stayed sitting up with Jack as his cries mixed with an occasional cough and finally turned into hiccups. 

"I'm sorry," Jack whispered eventually, his voice hoarse from lack of use and crying. The Doctor looked at him with confusion in his eyes from Jack's apology.

"You don't ever have to apologize for crying," The Doctor informed him. Jack stared back at him, his own eyes red from the tears. His face was wet and he was covered in sweat. He needed a shower, the Doctor decided. He was trying to decide if he should call Martha to give him a sponge bath or if he take him to the bathroom and help him wash his hair when Jack spoke again.

"Not for that. I'm sorry for doubting you. I hated you and yet, you still saved Steven," Jack responded. While he knew that Steven still had a long road in front of him before he would be fully recovered, the fact that he had breathed on his own had finally given Jack hope that he would survive. Steven would still have a long recovery in front of him and may never be the same little boy again. Jack would have to learn to live with that fact, but he would no longer have to wonder where his grandson was buried. He would get to hold his grandson one day and beg him for forgiveness for the pain that he caused the small family. 

"I'm sorry that I wasn't able to save Ianto as well," The Doctor apologized. Jack nodded slowly. As glad as he was that Steven was alive, he wanted more than anything to hold Ianto again. Before he met Ianto he had promised himself that he would never love another mortal. For one hundred years he had suffered the pain of them passing while he had been forced to carry on. Yet, Ianto had made him change his mind, taking a piece of Jack's heart that he had forgotten existed. He had allowed himself to love Ianto, knowing that they were only going to have a short time together. It was his fault, however, that they had only a few years. That Ianto had been cruelly taken from him by the 456 and his own stubbornness. 

"I miss him, Doc," Jack sniffled as he felt the tears start to roll down his cheeks again. He couldn't remember the last time that he had cried so much or so easily. He was grateful that the Doctor didn't comment on his tears as he was held closer to the Doctor's chest once more. He buried his face in the soft fabric of the Doctor's shirt as he cried for Ianto. He cried for his father, his brother, his little girl who didn't even live a day and her mother who took her own life shortly after. He cried for Tosh and Owen. For any past friends and long lost lovers. Finally, there were no more tears for him to shed. He kept his face buried against the Doctor's chest feeling lighter than he had in years. The pain was still there but it was easier to handle at the moment thanks to the Time Lord who was holding him so closely. Gently, without moving his head, he pressed a soft kiss to the Doctor's chest. 

"Stop it," The Doctor complained half-heartedly as he felt Jack's lips press briefly against his body. He looked down to see Jack's bright blue eyes staring up at him. Moving his arm, he placed his hand against the side of Jack's cheek for a moment. Jack gave him a weak smile. The Doctor smiled back. Moving his hand he placed it on Jack's arm. "Come along, Captain," He told him as he carefully eased himself out of Jack's arms and out of the bed. 

"Where are we going?" Jack wondered. He leaned heavily on the Doctor as he stood up. His body felt strange after being restrained to the bed for the last few days and he felt as if his legs were going to give out. 

"You need a shower," The Doctor informed him starting towards the door of the medi-bay. Jack didn't fight him as he followed the Doctor out into the corridor. They paused briefly outside of Steven's room so that Jack could rest his hand upon the door. The Doctor just watched him, waiting for Jack to be ready to move again. He no longer feared that Jack was going to run as soon as he got the chance. He was still going to keep a close eye on him but Jack finally seemed to accept the fact that he needed help. 

"Can I see him?" Jack asked after a moment. The Doctor shook his head no. 

"Right now Alice is still in there with him. Once we are done showering, I will ask Martha to speak with her about letting you see him for a few minutes," The Doctor told Jack. Jack sighed, accepting his answer as he pulled his hand away from the door. Together they set off down the corridors coming to a large wooden door that Jack recognized as the Doctor's room. Jack had been allowed in the Doctor's room several times in the past to comfort the Doctor. Now it was his turn to be comforted. He didn't question the Doctor's decision to lead him into his large ensuite. Nor did he argue as the Doctor stripped off his own suit to join Jack in the shower. Instead, he took comfort as the Doctor helped him to wash. There was nothing sexual about the Doctor's movements as he cleaned Jack's body then helped him to dry off. Together they returned to the Doctor's room, climbing up on the large bed. The Doctor tucked Jack in underneath the blankets then climbed on top of them, pulling a second blanket over his own naked body. Jack pouted slightly as he realized that he would be unable to feel the Doctor's naked body against his own. That was alright, though, as he rolled up on his side and the Doctor cuddled him from behind. Closing his eyes, Jack rested knowing that at least someone had forgiven him. Now he just needed to forgive himself.


	16. Chapter 16

Jack lay contently just reveling in the feeling of the Doctor's hand running slowly up and down his sternum in a comforting movement. He could feel the Doctor's cool breath on the back of his head but it didn't bug him as he laid with the Doctor. It wasn't the first time that they had ever shared a bed, nor was it the first time that they shared it naked. It was the first time, however, that he didn't try to touch the Doctor inappropriately or flirt his way into the Doctor's pants. Instead, he let the Doctor comfort him in a way that he didn't feel that he deserved yet. He felt tears prickling the back of his eyes again and he sniffled trying to keep from crying. It didn't help that the Doctor made a gentle shushing noise as he continued his gentle movements. 

"You're alright," the Doctor cooed softly. Jack didn't answer him. He turned over pressing his face into the Doctor's chest. He could feel the Doctor's cool skin not hindered by his suit for once. There was a small amount of hair on his chest but Jack felt that it worked for the Doctor. He wrapped his arms around the Doctor holding him tightly against his own body wishing silently that the blankets weren't in the way of feeling the Doctor's cool body against his. He didn't complain aloud, though, as the Doctor's hand continued his slow movements but this time along his spine. Jack fell asleep to that gentle movement. 

The Doctor thought about joining him in sleep as he felt Jack's warm breath on his skin and arms wrapped so tightly around him. He was actually thankful for the blankets that separated their bodies from each other as his own body was trying to respond. It was taking all of his concentration to will himself to remain calm. He wasn't about to embarrass himself like a teenager by allowing his body to become hard against his will. He was actually thankful for the distraction when he heard a soft knock on his bedroom door. 

"Come in," He called out. The door to the room opened and Martha came in. She took in the fact that the two of them were laying in the bed with their bare chest showing and the blankets pulled up to their stomachs. She blushed turning away. 

"I'll come back later," Martha told him quickly. 

"Nonsense, what do you need?" The Doctor questioned. He carefully untangled himself from Jack's arms sitting up. He made sure that the blanket continued to cover his lap and Jack's waist even if Martha made no effort to turn around. 

"I went to the medi-bay to check on Jack but he wasn't there so I to find you hoping that you had seen him. Obviously, you knew where he was so there isn't an issue," Martha stated keeping her back turned. 

"Nothing happened if that is what you are inferring," The Doctor informed her sternly. She took a chance turning around to see him sitting up. It was obvious to her from the way that the blankets were positioned that they were both naked. She put her hand to her mouth trying to cover the smile that appeared as she laughed. 

"You don't believe me?" The Doctor questioned, his eyes narrowing as he heard Martha chuckle. She quickly made her face as blank as possible as the Oncoming storm began to form behind his eyes. She knew when to push him and now was not the time as right now he was being protective of Jack and any attempt at a joke would just meet with his anger. 

"If it was anybody but you, Doctor, my answer would be no," she answered him honestly. During her short time working at Torchwood she had walked in several times on him in bed with Ianto and watched him flirting as naturally as breathing. Jack could convince anyone in the universe to join him in bed anyone but the Doctor. She had watched the Doctor reject his advances time and time again before and just after the long year. It was obvious that the Doctor cared for Jack yet the thought of them sleeping together was just absurd. 

"You can leave now," He informed her firmly. She didn't argue as she turned to head out of the door. She was almost into the corridors when he spoke again. "Martha?"

"Yes, Doctor," Martha questioned pausing in her tracks. She kept her face straight as possible as she turned to look at him. She expected to hear something about not mentioning this to Mickey or reminding her that nothing happened. Instead, the Doctor was only thinking about Jack again as he gently ran his hand along the side of Jack's head just behind his ear. 

"Jack has requested to see his grandson again. I know that we have been keeping him away while he heals but I think it is time for him to see him in order to come to terms with what happened that day," The Doctor told her. 

"I agree. I am going to be taking Alice off the TARDIS later tonight for some fresh air and maybe do a little shopping. While we are gone you are more than welcome to visit with Steven for as long as needed," Martha advised him. 

"Please let me know before you leave so I can make sure that he is up," The Doctor told her dismissing her with his tone as he laid back down. Martha nodded. 

"I will," Martha advised him leaving the room. The door closed firmly behind her as the Doctor settled back down in Jack's arms. 

"Thank you," Jack whispered having been woken up by the Doctor and Martha's conversation. The Doctor looked down at him seeing Jack's blue eyes staring up at him. 

"Go back to sleep," The Doctor told him not sure how else to answer. He really didn't like being thanked and it wasn't just because of him that Jack was going to see his Grandson. It was also because of Martha and Alice as well as Jack working to get better. He cuddled Jack close to his chest as he felt Jack's breathing even out once more. The Doctor, however, was too awake to sleep at the moment and just wanted to spend a quiet moment thinking while Jack rested. While both Jack and Steven were making progress, he was convinced that he should be able to help Steven more. He just had to wrap his thick brain around the details of Steven's treatment as well as the cause of his injuries. He was working on further treatment plans when his body betrayed him. The warmth of Jack's body and the feeling of his arms holding him tightly soon had the Doctor joining him in his rest.


	17. Chapter 17

"Doctor," A soft voice whispered next to his ear. He sniffled without fully waking as he cuddled closer to the warm body in his arms. He heard a chuckle before a hand was laid on his shoulder. "Doctor, it's time to wake up now."

"I'm sleeping," He mumbled not willing to listen to the voice quite yet. 

"I know but you asked me to wake you before I left with Alice for the afternoon and we will be stepping out here shortly," The voice that he now identified as Martha answered. He forced his eyes open as he remembered asking Martha to wake him up so that he could take Jack to see Steven. While he wasn't quite willing to relinquish the warmth of Jack's arms yet, he agreed that they needed to get up soon. A part of him wondered if Jack would be willing to share his bed on a more permanent basis, while another chastised himself for the thought. He was helping Jack to heal from the pain that he carried so that Jack could continue to live and not just survive. He didn't need to be thinking about sharing a bed with Jack on a more permanent basis. 

"I will wake Jack up in a moment. Will you please put the kettle on?" The Doctor requested. 

"It's already heating," Martha informed him as she headed to the door. 

"Thank you," He called after her. He waited until the door was closed before sitting up in bed. Leaning over he gently brushed the hair back from Jack's forehead. 

"It's time to wake up, Captain," He cooed softly. Jack opened his eyes, looking up at the Doctor with a soft smile. 

"But I was having such a nice dream," Jack told him. In his dreams, he was watching his grandson play football, happy and healthy. Next to him, Ianto was sitting cheering on Steven as he ran. He had leaned into Ianto, thankful to have him by his side for just one more moment. A thousand years, he reminded himself as once again his first thought upon waking was the young Welshman who had stolen his heart. 

"I'm sorry, but we need to get up so that you can go visit Steven," The Doctor explained. Jack nodded as he threw the blankets back. He stumbled naked to the bathroom relieving himself before returning to the Doctor's room. He was slightly disappointed to see that the Doctor already had his trousers on and was working on his many layers of shirts as Jack came back in the room. Jack found his own clothes laying on the side of the bed and dressed slowly as well. While he wanted to see his grandson, he was also apprehensive about seeing him and knowing that he had caused Steven all of this pain. The Doctor didn't question, nor rush him as he finished pulling on his own clothes before taking a seat on the bed to wait for Jack. 

"I don't think I can do this, Doc," Jack spoke up finally feeling like a coward. 

"I will be right by your side the entire time, Jack. If it becomes too overwhelming we can leave his room but I really think you should see him. Even if it is only for a few minutes," The Doctor responded. Standing up, he went around the side of the bed. Reaching out he started buttoning Jack's shirt for him. Jack let him, swallowing hard as the Doctor took his hand leading him out of the room. Much to his relief, they went to the kitchen first. He sat at the table as the Doctor made him a hot cup of coffee. 

"I don't care, I don't want him in the room with my son," Alice's voice drifted in from down the corridor causing Jack to cringe. The Doctor walked over shutting the door but not before Jack heard part of Martha's answer. 

"Jack needs to see him, Alice. He needs to see the pain." Her words were cut off as the Doctor used his foot to shut the door and then joined Jack at the table with two cups in hand. Jack was no longer thirsty as his stomach flipped at the idea of going to see Steven with Alice still so angry at him. He deserved her anger, though. He had tried to take her only child from her as she begged him not to. She had to watch the Steven scream and then collapse knowing that Jack had sacrificed him in order to save all of the other children. 

"Alice will come around," The Doctor told him, reaching out and laying a gentle hand on Jacks. 

"I don't deserve her forgiveness," Jack answered him pulling away. Picking up his coffee he took a long slow drink. 

"You also don't deserve to suffer, Jack. You had to make an impossible choice and in the end, your grandson suffered for it. He is getting stronger every day, though and we are optimistic that he will wake up soon," The Doctor informed Jack. Jack narrowed his eyes at the Doctor. 

"And then what? He won't be the same, Doc. We both know that he will have months of therapy ahead of him in order to talk and walk again," Jack snapped back at him. 

"He will, but I plan on continuing his care until he is finished healing. With the technology I have access to, he will heal more fully than he could in any 21st-century hospital," The Doctor advised Jack. He didn't make Jack any more promises about Steven's recovery because truthfully he didn't know. There were no other cases quite like Steven's and only time would tell how fully he recovered. 

"He used to love to play football," Jack whispered. 

"And I will do my best to make sure that he plays football again one day," The Doctor finally promised. They sat in silence finishing their drinks until the Doctor was alerted that Martha had finally left the TARDIS with Alice. He held Jack's hand tightly as he took him to the small room that Steven's bed was in, leading him inside. Jack felt tears prickling at the back of his eyes as he took in his grandson laying on the bed. A blanket had been folded at his waist showing the bandage for the incision that the Doctor and Martha had made. He had electrodes hooked to his chest as well as his head and IVs in his arm. A tube down his throat was breathing for him with a steady hissing noise that filled the room.

"I'm sorry," Jack apologized falling to his knees beside the bed. He covered his face with his hands as he sat back on his ankles crying. He felt the Doctor kneel beside him, wrapping his arms around him tightly. He felt the Doctor lay his head against his and he took comfort from his touch as he cried. It seemed like hours passed before he finally forced himself to his feet and stepped forward to take Steven's hand in his own. 

"What should I do?" Jack questioned softly. 

"Just talk to him," The Doctor answered. Jack nodded. Not sure what to say or even where to begin to apologize properly, he instead began to tell Steven a story. One that he hadn't heard before but one that Jack thought that he should know. 

"I've made mistakes in the past and thought I was doing what was right this time because you see, Steven, I was there the first time they arrived," Jack began.


	18. Chapter 18

Jack pushed himself to his feet, standing before turning to offer the Doctor a hand up. The Doctor was already on his feet, however, and he offered Jack the chair that was next to Steven's bed. Jack sat down heavily, grateful for the Doctor's kindness as he didn't think his legs would support him. Reaching out he went to take Steven's hand in his own. At the last moment, he changed his mind letting his hand drop to the bed. Sighing he leaned back in the chair before beginning to speak again. 

"There is a lot that you don't know about me and I suppose that is for the best. I am not a good man and I never have been. I have made many mistakes in my life, had many regrets, but I always tried to make it right in the end. When the 456 first arrived they asked us for just twelve children, in exchange they would give us viruses and the cure to the Spanish flu," Jack paused as he remembered the Doctor was standing there listening to his story as well. He considered asking him to leave the room but he needed the Doctor there. He wanted the Doctor's support as he spoke to his grandson, then maybe if he was lucky he would fall asleep in the Doctor's arms again tonight. He took a breath before continuing. 

"I wish that I could tell you that we told them no. That we forced them to leave our planet making sure that they never returned. You wouldn't be laying here if we had, though. Instead, we gave them twelve orphaned children that we thought no one would miss. I was placed in charge of delivering the children to the 456 and like a good soldier, I did as I was told. They took eleven of the children offered to them, left us the medications and viruses as promised, and then left. We thought that was the last we would ever see of them, but they returned. This time they demanded %10 of the children living on Earth or they would kill us all. The government was going to give them the children but I couldn't allow it."

"I tried to tell them no. I told them they weren't getting any more of our children and that they were to leave Earth. They refused, killing everyone in the building to prove the power of their poisons. I lost Ianto that day and many others lost the ones they loved," Jack swallowed hard as he felt tears running down his cheeks. "I swear that there was no other choice Steven. If I hadn't used you to turn the signal back on the 456, millions of children would suffer. Then it would be only a matter of time before they returned again demanding more children from us. I couldn't allow that to happen. I was the only one who could stop them and unfortunately, you were the only child there that I could use to return their signal."

"I knew that I was going to lose you that day along with your mother but I had no other choice. I swear that I never wanted to hurt you," Jack sobbed, his voice breaking as he spoke. The Doctor placed a hand on his shoulder squeezing it comfortingly. Jack reached back placing his hand on the Doctor's hand as he cleared his throat. 

"Sometimes the only choices you have are bad ones, but you still have to choose, The Doctor advised him softly. He nodded wiping his eyes with the back of his hand. 

"I thought I would never see you again, and I couldn't live with what I did. I tried so hard to run, to forget what happened but no matter how much I drank, I could never forget what happened. Every night, I dream of watching you playing football again. Thanks to the Doctor I will get that chance. The Doctor has given you back your life and maybe when you're old enough to know the truth, he will take you to see the stars," Jack told his grandson softly. 

"Of course I will," The Doctor agreed. He moved away from Jack so that he could check the monitors and run through Steven's vitals. "I can take you to anywhere in the universe that you want to go. Except for Delton 6."

"Why not Delton 6?" Jack questioned. 

"I have a lifetime ban from that planet. Long story but I made the king very angry by disobeying him. So, the next time I am seen on that planet I am to be beheaded. Only if I don't manage to have him overthrown first," The Doctor explained vaguely.

"I can help you," Jack offered. He had heard of Delton 6 during his time in the Agency. From what he knew it was a good place to spend the night with a stiff drink and a warm body in his bed. While he had been tempted to go he had never made it out to the planet. Still, he knew that the Doctor wouldn't be planning on overthrowing a government unless he had a very good reason for it. So the least he could do was help, and maybe while he was there he could find a body to warm his bed. 

"I'd like that," The Doctor answered. He turned to look at Jack with a small smile on his face before returning his attention to the monitors. There had been no change in Steven's condition since the last time he had checked. He kept an eye on Jack as Jack reached out brushing the hair gently off of his grandson's forehead. Jack adjusted the mask covering his mouth and nose. He then fixed the blankets. The Doctor let him fuss even if there was no point to his fussing. He looked up as the TARDIS hummed at him, letting him know that people had entered the control room. "I'm sorry, Jack, but it is time to say goodbye for now."

Jack leaned forward kissing Steven softly on the side of the head. Pulling himself slowly to his feet, he made his way to the door of Steven's room. He didn't have to ask why he had to leave as he could hear Martha arguing Alice in the corridors again. He didn't want to leave Steven but he didn't have a choice. His daughter didn't want him to see his grandson and while he understood why he wanted more than anything to remain by his side. He braced himself to be yelled at as he stepped out into the corridors. Alice, however, didn't say one word to him as she pushed herself past him into Steven's room. 

"How did it go?" Martha wondered as she joined them in the corridors. 

"It went well," The Doctor answered. "I just ran through Steven's vitals and he is the same at the moment. I will be back in a few hours to try to wing him off of the ventilator again as long as he remains stable."

"Of course, I will keep you notified," Martha responded. The Doctor reached out taking Jack's hand leading him back towards the kitchen. Jack followed him, not sure what else to do. He still felt lost despite seeing his grandson. All he wanted to do was curl up with a bottle of whiskey and forget. He paused in the doorway of the kitchen. 

"Can we please go back to bed, Doc," Jack questioned. 

"Don't call me, Doc," The Doctor answered automatically. He obliged Jack taking him back to his bedroom. Jack climbed up on the bed, laying on his side as he stared at the wall. The Doctor laid down behind him, wrapping an arm around Jack from behind. Jack couldn't help the smile that crossed his face as he felt the Doctor's lips press briefly against the back of his neck. Rolling over, he pressed his face against the Doctor's chest as he held tightly to him. Feeling a glimmer of hope, he dared to press a soft kiss against the Doctor's chest. "Stop it." Came a low grumble. Jack sighed. It had been worth a shot.


	19. Chapter 19

The Doctor wasn't surprised when Jack drifted off to sleep in his arms. Jack was both physically and emotionally drained. He had let himself go far too long without seeking help as he died night after night in the hotel room in order to sleep for a few hours after he thought he had killed both his grandson and lover. The alcohol he had consumed did nothing to refuel his autron fueled body, as he tried desperately to forget. Now, he had cried, showing more emotion in these last few days than he had ever shown before in front of the Doctor. While it had to be hard to let himself be so vulnerable it was a step in the right direction. He would heal and come out stronger on the other side and the Doctor planned to be right there by his side the entire way. 

"Sleep well, Jack," The Doctor whispered softly as he leaned down to drop a gentle kiss on the top of Jack's head. While he wasn't ready for Jack to reciprocate the affection quite yet, he couldn't help kissing him. He cared for Jack and wanted Jack to stay by his side even after Steven was healed. He might even let Jack kiss him back or hold him through the night but not yet. Right now he had to be strong for the Captain. To hold Jack up when he wanted to fall and let Jack lean on him until Jack was ready to stand on his own. Sitting up, he pulled the blankets up over Jack's shoulders tucking him in before getting out of bed. 

Sending a message to the TARDIS to alert him when Jack was awake, he made his way out of his room and down the hall. As he passed the living area, he saw Mickey sitting on the couch playing a video game. He didn't recognize the game nor the console but Mickey was immersed in the game as he furiously hit buttons to try to beat a large skinny creature with long claws and a large tail. The Doctor let him play as he continued on towards Stevens room. Arriving he went inside, not surprised to find that Alice was back by his side and Martha was sitting near her as she actively monitored Steven's vitals. The Doctor didn't remain in the room long, taking a small amount of Steven's blood he headed to his lab. 

He still felt like there was something that he was missing when it came to caring properly for Steven. Something that would allow Steven to get back up on his feet faster. Yet, every test he ran came back the same. Steven was slowly getting stronger thanks to the surgery they performed and the medicines that they gave him. His blood, vitals or scans told the Doctor nothing new. He wasn't ready to give up but he was quickly coming to the conclusion that he wouldn't find the answers he was looking for by running his test. What he needed was time in his library to study. 

Returning to Steven's side, they allowed him to breathe on his own once more. His breaths were still slow and shallow causing his oxygen levels to drop quickly. Rather than immediately return him to the ventilator, Martha placed a special oxygen mask over his mouth and nose that forced him to take a deeper breath. It helped to bring his oxygen levels up a little but he was still breathing too slowly for the mask to be much use. They gave him as much time as they could before once more letting the ventilator take over his breathing. The Doctor assisted in running through Steven's vitals before disappearing into his library. He was still reading when Jack joined him a few hours later. 

"Anything I can do to help?" Jack wondered alerting the Doctor to his presence. He had woke up to find the Doctor gone, but that was alright he could take care of himself. He had showered, shaved and dressed in a clean pair of trousers before setting out to find the Time Lord. The TARDIS had guided him to the library where he found the Doctor on the third floor leaning against the railing. He was chewing on the end of a pen with a pile of books around him. Jack smiled to himself as he saw the Doctor's messy hair along with his thinking glasses. He had to reach down to adjust himself as his pants grew uncomfortable. 

"A fresh cup of tea would be nice," The Doctor answered. Jack shook his head leaving the library long enough to make the Doctor a hot cup of tea. He made a coffee for himself. Returning to the library, he climbed the stairs up to the third floor. He leaned down to set the Doctor's tea on the ground in front of the Time Lord, knowing that he would be less than pleased if Jack set it on one of the many piles of books before flopping down with his cup of coffee. He took a long sip of his coffee as the Doctor failed to notice his return. Growing frustrated with the book that he was reading, he tossed it backward over the railing aiming it at the fireplace. The book bounced off the edge, landing in front of the stack of logs. 

"Didn't like that book?" Jack questioned with a chuckle. The Doctor looked up at him, his brow creased with confusion over the fact that Jack was sitting near him. He looked at the ground in front of him pleased to see the cup of tea waiting for him. 

"No," He answered as he picked up the tea to take a drink. It was still hot meaning that Jack couldn't have been there for long. 

"Maybe I can help you," Jack suggested not wanting to just sit there and watched the Doctor read but not wanting to be alone either. As large as the ship was his options for company were limited. He couldn't go sit with Alice and Martha in Steven's room and he didn't want to play video games with Mickey. That left the Time Lord for company. "Is there something in particular that you're looking for?"

"I'm looking for a way to help Steven. I have the feeling that I am missing something vital that could help him but I don't know what it is," The Doctor answered as he opened another book. Jack reached out taking one of the books off the stack. He knew a little bit about medicine after being a medic during both world wars the second time around. He had also picked up a little over his long years alive and stuck on earth. Just a quick glance at the title, however, made him realize just how little he knew about medicine. Still, he head to try for his grandson's sake. Opening the book, he hesitantly began to read.


	20. Chapter 20

Jack quickly became frustrated with the book he was reading. He set the book back on the pile, unsure if the Doctor had looked at it yet. As he didn't want to throw it into the fireplace with the other book in case it had the answers the Doctor was looking for. Picking up the next book, a quick flip through it revealed that he would be just as frustrated if he chose to read it. Setting the book back once more, he climbed to his feet looking at the books in the Doctor's library. While none of the library was off limits to his companions, if they could find it, it was rare for them to go any higher than the first level as that was where all the fiction books were kept that were written in English. The second floor had books that were written in other languages but unless you knew the language the book was in, she rarely translated them. The third floor had the Doctor's study books and Jack wasn't sure what was on the fourth floor as the stairs always seemed to be conveniently missing. Jack always just figured that the fourth floor held books that the Doctor didn't want his companions to see or read. 

Staying on the third floor, Jack walked slowly looking at the books in front of him. Hardly any of the books were in English and while he recognized a few of the other languages he could only read a handful of the titles. He paused as he came across a small shelf close to a large wooden desk. The shelf held many books all in the same circular writing that the Doctor used. Curious he picked up a book flipping through the pages. Not seeing any pictures, he picked up the next book and did the same. It was in the fifth book that he finally came across drawings. The anatomy was interesting but didn't help him any. As he looked, however, he came across the drawing of two men standing over a third who was laying on a table. The first man had his hands on the laying man's temples and a golden mist was drawn around his hands. From what Jack knew about the Doctor he wondered if the man was transferring his energy into the injured man. Curious, he took the book back over to the Doctor sitting down in front of him. 

"I know what you're thinking, Jack, but it won't work," The Doctor informed him with a quick glance up as Jack sat down. Unlike Jack, he was clearly able to the read the title of the book "Energy Healing." 

"Why not?" Jack asked curiously. The Doctor lowered his book as he looked at Jack over the top of his glasses. Jack felt his heart miss a beat, lust filling him. He pushed the thought aside as he tried to listen to the Time Lord. 

"Because a human doesn't have the necessary cells to utilize a Time Lord's energy. It wouldn't hurt him, nor would it help him, if I were to offer him some of my energy, it would just dissipate out of his cells as he has no way to store the energy," The Doctor explained. 

"What about if you were to give me your energy?" Jack questioned as he thought about what the Doctor told him. 

"I don't know because you're energy isn't normally found in a human being. You received your energy from the TARDIS and she holds the same energy within her walls and her heart. It is also found within the time vortex and the rifts that she uses to refuel. I do know that our energies are not compatible. If you were to transfer a small amount your energy into me, it would be like poison in my body. While it would seem to be helping me to get better for a short time as my body tried to use it. If the transfers continued, it would cause my own energy production to slow damaging my cells," The Doctor answered.

"What if I gave you a large amount of energy?" Jack wondered curiously. 

"You're looking at the result," The Doctor responded. Jack looked at him confused as the Doctor continued. "I regenerated from my last body due to taking the heart of the TARDIS out of Rose. That amount of energy was lethal to my cells causing me to change faces. In order to regenerate, however, I had to dispell it all from my body or it could inhibit my regeneration ability."

"Steven can't use Time Lord energy and you can't utilize artron energy properly but could Steven use the autron energy to heal?" Jack questioned finally.

"I had to remove the heart of the TARDIS from Rose or it would have killed her. He can't receive a direct transfer of artron energy from the TARDIS or it would kill him as well. There was a species that used artron energy, though. The energy altered their antibodies helping their immune systems to better fight both infections and diseases," The Doctor continued speaking more to himself than Jack. He ran his hand through his hair, rubbing the back of his neck as he continued to speak. "A small amount of filtered energy, transferred into him wouldn't heal his body but would allow his immune system to rest so that his body could focus on healing."

"So you are saying that it would help him," Jack clarified. The Doctor looked up at Jack with a smile on his face.

"It could, yes," The Doctor agreed. Jack started to get to his feet but the Doctor put a hand on his arm to stop him. Jack looked down at him seeing that the smile had faded just as quickly as it had crossed the Time Lord's face. 

"We need to go help him," Jack told the Doctor. 

"We will but I need to speak with Alice first. I need to get her permission for you to perform an energy transfer on Steven," The Doctor informed him softly. Jack slumped back against the shelves, all hope that he could save his grandson vanished by that single statement. 

"She will never agree to it," He whispered miserably.

"She might. Now just wait here while I talk to her," The Doctor responded. Starting to stand up, he leaned forward kissing Jack on the forehead. Jack looked up at him. "I promise that it is going to be alright."

Jack smiled weakly at him before pulling himself to sit a little straighter against the bookshelves. He wasn't sure why but for some reason he believed him. He sat there watching until the Doctor left the library, then stood up going down the stairs to retrieve the book that the Doctor had thrown over the railing. Despite the Doctor's anger he had the feeling that the Doctor might want it again in the future. He took the book back upstairs, placing it on the book shelf. Picking up the Doctor's tea, he took a long drink of the comforting hot liquid. Settling back again, he waited for the Doctor's return.


	21. Chapter 21

"Absolutely not. I told you before that I don't want that man anywhere near my son and I meant it," Alice responded as the Doctor started to explain their idea to have Jack help heal Steven use his energy. He had barely told her about using Jack's energy, though, when she interrupted him mid-sentence. 

"Would it work?" Martha asked as she considered what the Doctor was saying. She had seen Jack heal quickly from many different wounds as well as coming back from the dead. She had never seen him use his energy to heal others or any evidence that he carried the energy beyond the physical evidence. 

"It doesn't matter because my answer is still no," Alice spoke up before the Doctor could speak. 

"I understand that you are angry with Jack due to his decision to use your son to stop the 456. If I go tell him that you don't want him to use his energy to heal Steven, he will be upset but it won't hurt him. Nor will it hurt me. The two of us will go back to our studying of the medical books in order to find another way to help your son. You will stay here with your son and I it won't hurt you or Martha to know that you turned away Jack's help. The only person you are hurting by refusing to let Jack help is Steven," The Doctor informed her. His voice was calm but Martha could clearly see the anger in his eyes as he spoke. 

"I trusted my father to keep Steven safe and he tried to kill him. I'm sorry, Doctor, but I don't trust him with my son," Alice answered him. The Doctor nodded once showing his understanding. 

"I realize that you don't trust Jack. I don't plan on sending Jack in here on his own to try to heal Steven," The Doctor informed her. It wasn't that he didn't trust Jack, he just didn't think that Jack knew how to control his own energy. He was positive that if he sent Jack in by himself, Steven would remain the same as Jack would be unable to share his energy with the child. He could help Jack to learn to control his energy and assist him in giving Steven a small energy transfer. He would be monitoring both Jack and Steven the entire time and would put an end to the transfer if necessary. "I will be guiding Jack throughout the healing while Martha monitors Steven. You will be welcome to stay here by Steven's side the entire time so you can see for yourself that we aren't trying to hurt him."

"Can I have a moment to think about it?" Alice questioned. 

"Of course," Martha responded before the Doctor could but that didn't stop him from speaking up again. 

"I will give you all the time that you need, but the longer that you wait, the more difficult it will be for Steven to make a full recovery," The Doctor advised her. Alice reached out gently stroking the hair back from Steven's forehead. 

"Doctor," Martha warned with her tone. He turned his eyes to look at her and he saw her mouth the word no. He rolled his eyes back towards Alice. 

"I'll be in the library," He informed them starting to turn towards the door. He had just placed his hand on the handle when Alice spoke up again causing him to pause in his step.

"Wait," Alice spoke up before he could leave the room. As much as she didn't want to see her father, she wanted her child back more. She wanted to see him up on his feet, smiling at her as they explored the many gardens this place had to offer, not laying in the bed close to death with little hope of a future. "I will let my father help him."

"You've made the right choice. I will go get Jack," The Doctor told her with a small smile. Heading back to the library, he climbed the stairs to the third floor to find Jack still waiting for him. Jack had a book open on his lap but he wasn't reading it as he stared at the railing in front of him. 

"She said no, didn't she," Jack spoke up as the Doctor approached him. 

"She did," The Doctor agreed causing Jack to hang his head. "At first. I managed to convince her that it is in Steven's best interest to receive the energy transfer and she has agreed that you can help him. We need to go now, though, before she changes her mind again." He reached out his hand to Jack to help him up and Jack took it allowing the Doctor to pull him to his feet. The Doctor didn't release his hand as he pulled Jack close to him, wrapping an arm around Jack. As he released his hand, he held him close, letting Jack rest his head against his shoulder. He leaned his own head so that it was against Jacks, just comforting him for a moment. 

"I'm not sure how to transfer my energy," Jack admitted softly from within the comfort of the Doctor's arms. 

"Don't worry, I will be right by your side guiding you the entire time," The Doctor informed him. He turned his head so that he could kiss Jack on the side of the head. Jack turned his own head at the last moment so that he caught the Doctor's lips against his own. The Doctor froze as he stared at Jack with wide eyes. Jack didn't press his luck as he tried to break the kiss quickly. The Doctor's lips, however, followed his seeking his mouth. He tried not to smile as he kissed the Doctor softly. The kiss was almost chaste and ended far too soon for Jack. Releasing the Doctor, he continued to hold his hand tightly as together they made their way out of the library to Steven's room. The Doctor squeezed Jack's hand comfortingly Jack as he took a deep breath before entering the room. 

"Alice," Jack greeted her, his voice barely above a whisper. He wanted to apologize and tell her how he never meant to hurt his grandson but the words were lost as he felt a lump in his throat. 

"Father," Alice responded coldly as she glared at Jack making it perfectly clear that she didn't want him in the room. Jack forced himself to put one foot in front of the other as he moved past her to Steven's bed. 

"How?" He asked the Doctor, his voice still soft.

"Just put your fingers on his temples, I will guide you through the rest," The Doctor told him softly. Jack's hands were shaking as he reached out placing one hand on each of Steven's temples. The Doctor followed suit, placing his own hands on Jack's temples from behind as he closed his eyes. He reached out his mind carefully to Jack's asking his permission to enter. Jack willingly opened his mind letting the Doctor in. Doors slammed closed all around the Doctor but that was alright, he wasn't there for Jack's memories even if a void in the back of Jack's mind did entice him. He ignored the doors as he helped Jack to gather his energy. He guided him in guiding the energy down his arms and out the tips of his fingers slowly into Steven's body. Jack could feel a sensation almost like warm water trickling down his hands but as he stared he saw nothing. He liked the feeling of the Doctor in his head and so close to his body that he could feel every inch of the Time Lord. He was almost disappointed when the Doctor helped him to stop the transfer of energy then carefully closed the connection between him and Jack. 

"Did it work?" Jack wondered softly as Martha ran through Steven's vitals. 

"He is showing signs of improvement, but I would have to run more test to be sure," Martha responded. The Doctor looked at the monitor as well, seeing the changes to Steven's system. He turned back to the boy, and with gentle movements, carefully lifted the bandage on Steven's stomach. The incision showed clear signs of healing beyond the few days since the operation. The Doctor replaced the bandage. He then reached out flipping the switch to turn off the respirator. 

"Doctor, what are you doing?" Martha exclaimed in concern. She rushed around the bed to turn the machine back on. As she ran she heard Steven take a small breath. He quickly followed it by another, then a third, falling into a steady but shallow breathing pattern. Martha grabbed the oxygen mask placing it over his mouth and nose as Steven continued to breathe. She didn't remove the tubing quite yet as she didn't want to interrupt his breathing pattern.

"Thank you, Doctor," Alice exclaimed happily.

"It was Jack who gave him the energy transfer, I just guided him," The Doctor replied. He waited expectantly for Alice to thank Jack as well but the thank you never came. 

"That's alright Doctor. She doesn't need to thank me. I am just happy I could help him," Jack told the Doctor. The Doctor turned his head to see the tears in Jack's eyes. Without thinking about it, he took Jack into his arms once more, providing him comfort. They could all celebrate later that Steven was alive and thriving and hopefully, soon he would wake.


	22. Chapter 22

The Doctor and Jack left shortly after helping Steven as Alice continued to make it perfectly clear that she didn't want Jack in the room. Jack whispered how sorry he was one last time before he followed the Doctor out of the room and back to the library. Alice, however, continued to sit with Martha as she monitored Steven closely once the respirator was turned off. She paid close attention to his oxygen levels and to how deeply he was breathing. While his breaths were shallower than she would have liked, his blood oxygen levels were remaining high due to the medications the Doctor had him on. She asked for the Doctor's opinion about removing the tube from his throat. He came back to the room alone and ran through Steven's vitals before agreeing that the tube could be removed. 

Alice was distressed as Steven coughed and gagged on the tubing as it was removed from his throat even as Martha tried to reassure her that it was a good sign. She placed the oxygen mask back over his mouth and nose as soon as the tubing was out in order to continue to assist his breathing. Once the tubing was gone, the Doctor changed over the IV bag. He removed the medication that was keeping Steven in a coma while making sure that he was still on the others that assisted his body in getting the proper amount of oxygen into his blood as he wanted to make sure that Steven's body didn't become distressed. After, he left again to go tend to Jack while Martha continued to stay with Alice. It was almost seven hours later before Martha noticed a change in Steven's breathing. Alice didn't notice as she slept in the chair beside him but though Martha was tired she couldn't sleep as she rested in the chair. She quickly got to her feet. Concerned she tried to figure out what was causing his breathing to change as his heart beat sped up.

"What's the matter, Steven," Martha questioned as she ran through his vitals on the screen before turning to listen to his heart and lungs. She put the stethoscope into her ears laying the cool metal against his chest. 

"Mum," Steven whined, his voice so low that Martha barely heard him. She turned her head to see that his eyes were still closed even if she had clearly heard him complain. She removed the stethoscope from her ears as she moved closer to his head. 

"Can you hear me, Steven?" She questioned him. 

"Mum," he whimpered again sounding just as distressed. 

"Just a moment, Steven," Martha told him softly rushing around the bed. She knelt so that she was eye-level with Alice. Reaching out, she rubbed her knuckles on Alice's shoulder. "Alice. Alice, you need to wake up now?"

"Martha? What's wrong?" Alice questioned as she opened her eyes. She looked at Martha with a sleepy confusion as Martha smiled at her. 

"Steven is asking for you," Martha informed her. That got Alice's attention and she jumped to her feet as she rushed to Steven's side. 

"Steven?" She questioned in disbelief as she looked at her son. 

"Mum?" He wondered his voice just as low.

"Yes, sweetheart, it's mum," Alice informed him. She had tears in her eyes as she leaned forward to kiss him softly on his forehead. 

"Ask him to open his eyes?" Martha instructed as she watched. 

"Steven, can you open your eyes for mummy?" she asked him following Martha's advice. He didn't respond to her right away so Alice gently thumbed the side of his head near his eyes. "Come on Steven, let mummy see your eyes." She continued to thumb the side of his head as Steven's eyes twitched and a moment later he opened them just a crack. He seemed to be confused about where he was but he didn't care enough to keep his eyes open for long. 

"Steven?" Martha tried to get his attention again. He didn't respond as his breathing began to even out and his heartbeat slowed down. 

"Should I try to keep him awake?" Alice questioned looking up at Martha. Martha shook her head no. Alice kissed Steven on his head again before resting her head against his. "I love you, baby. Just sleep now and I'll be here when you wake." She kissed him once more as he drifted off to sleep before settling back into her chair. She kept Steven's hand tightly in her own as she sat watching him. She was no longer tired as she waited eagerly for her son to wake up again. Once Steven was asleep, Martha ran through his vitals relieved that they had gone back to what was normal for him over the last few hours. He was breathing steadily again and his oxygen levels remained high. Once Martha was satisfied that he was stable, she turned to look at Alice. 

"I am going to go inform the Doctor and Jack that Steven woke up. Once I get back, I think you should go to bed and try to sleep for a few hours," Martha suggested. 

"He was afraid and confused when he woke up, Martha. We don't know when he is going to wake up again and I'm not leaving his side until he does," Alice argued as she continued to hold tightly to her son's hand. 

"I understand. I am going to get a cup of tea after I speak to the Doctor. Do you want anything?" Martha questioned. 

"A cup of tea sounds lovely," Alice agreed. Leaving the room, Martha closed the door behind her as she headed down the hall. She checked the library first to find it vacant before heading to the Doctor's room. She wasn't surprised to find that the door to his room was closed. She knocked on the door, and when she didn't receive an answer she tried the handle. The handle didn't turn indicating that it was locked so she knocked again. 

"Just a moment," The Doctor called out sounding almost breathless. Smiling to herself, she moved across the hall to lean against the wall as she waited. It took a few minutes but the Doctor finally opened the door a crack. He slid out, in just his trousers, closing the door behind him. "Is Steven alright?"

"He woke up about twenty minutes ago," Martha answered with a smile. The Doctor's face lit up at the news. He let out a whoop of happiness as he hugged her tightly.

"Jack will be relieved to hear the news. He has been worried that it wouldn't work," The Doctor informed her as he released her. Martha watched as he slipped back into his room opening the door as little as possible. Chuckling, she headed to the kitchen to make herself and Alice a cup of tea.


	23. Chapter 23

Upon their return to the library, the Doctor took Jack over to the couch that sat in front of the fireplace. He looked briefly for the book that he had planned to burn, slightly annoyed that it had gone missing. He telepathically chastised the TARDIS for moving it, feeling her hum at him in apology. Sitting down on the couch, he held Jack in his arms. He kissed Jack softly on the head as Jack cuddled into him, curling on his side as the Doctor continued to sit upright. He ran his fingers slowly along Jack's spine, offering him comfort as Jack stared forward. They didn't speak but they didn't need to. The Doctor had seen the pain in Jack's eyes as Alice made it clear that she didn't want him in the room. They sat quietly just holding each other until he heard someone enter the room. Looking over, he saw Martha standing just inside the library doors. 

"When you have a moment, I would like a second opinion about Steven," Martha informed him. 

"I'll be there soon," The Doctor answered her. She nodded to show that she heard him before leaving the two of them alone again. The Doctor continued to absentmindedly rub Jack's back as he spoke to him this time. "Do you want to come with me to see Steven?"

"Alice doesn't want me in his room," Jack responded softly. 

"That's not what I asked," The Doctor replied. He moved so that he could look Jack in his eyes. His hearts breaking as he saw the pain and confusion that the once-confident man held. He didn't think about it as he leaned down pressing his lips gently against Jack's mouth tasting him. Jack kissed him back just as softly not fighting for dominance. 

"I want to stay here with you," Jack answered as the kiss ended far too soon. He wanted more than anything else at that moment to remain on the couch, safe in the Doctor's arms as he tasted the lips of the man he always loved. He chastised himself for being selfish but he couldn't help it. He had waited thousands of years for this moment and he feared that he would have to wait another thousand for a chance to lay in the Time Lord's arms again. He leaned up kissing the Doctor softly on the neck. "Go to Steven. I'll wait here for you to return."

"Are you sure?" The Doctor questioned. Jack nodded as he reluctantly sat up, forfeiting the comfort of the Doctor's arms. 

"I'm sure," Jack responded. The Doctor stood.

"I'll be back soon," he reassured him as he hurried out of the library. Getting to Steven's room, he fought back the urge to yell at Alice for how she was treating Jack. Instead, he focused on helping Steven. Looking over the young boy's vitals, he agreed with Martha's assessment that the breathing tube could be removed. Once it was out, he switched Steven's medications to allow him the chance to wake up. While he didn't know for sure if he would on his own, or if he would need another energy transfer first, he wanted to give Steven the chance to be with them again. With Steven on the mend, he returned to Jack. Jack was curled up on the couch, staring at the fire in front of him. 

"I'm sorry I left you," The Doctor apologized. 

"Is he still breathing on his own?" Jack questioned. 

"He is and Martha and I have decided to remove the ventilation tube and the medicine keeping him in a coma. He will be able to wake up soon, thanks to the energy that you gave him," The Doctor explained. "He is going to be alright, Jack."

"Thanks to you and Martha," Jack responded.

"And the energy you gave him." He looked into Jack's eyes, seeing that Jack didn't believe him. 

"I hurt him and then I failed him," Jack answered. The Doctor sighed. Going around the couch, he sat down on the edge of it, rubbing Jack's arm. 

"It's going to be alright," The Doctor reassured him. Jack rolled his eyes.

"When?," Jack wondered but the Doctor didn't have an answer for him. He didn't know for sure when Steven would be back on his feet or when Alice would finally forgive Jack. 

"Regardless of how long it takes, I will be right by your side the entire time," The Doctor replied. He saw a faint smile cross Jack's face but it was gone as quickly as it appeared. "Now, I think we should have supper before going to bed."

"I'm not hungry," Jack sulked not moving. 

"You're right. With your metabolism, you are probably half starved by now. Come along," The Doctor told him climbing to his feet. When Jack made no move to get up on his own, he pulled Jack to his feet, not wanting to leave him alone again. Jack didn't fight the Doctor as he allowed the Time Lord to lead him out of the library and to the kitchen. Together they had a small meal before once more retiring to the Doctor's room for the night. The Doctor went to shower first while Jack changed into a pair of trousers before climbing into the bed to wait. He couldn't help the smile that crossed his face as the Doctor emerged naked with his hair still damp and skin flush from the hot water. He didn't bother to dress as he crossed the room. Jack lifted the blankets inviting the Doctor to lay with him. He saw the Doctor's hesitation but he didn't fight Jack's request as he laid down allowing Jack to cover him. He pulled Jack close to his chest, feeling Jack's bare skin against his own. It was in the warmth of Jack's arms that he drifted off to sleep. 

He woke up several hours later to the sound of someone crying. It took his brain a moment to catch up with the fact that Jack was no longer in his arms as he lay curled on his side crying softly. While he knew that it was good for Jack to cry and let go of the pain he held, he hated seeing the immortal cry. He moved so that he was holding Jack from behind. He ran his fingers along Jack's sternum as he made gentle shushing sounds. He kissed Jack softly on the side of the back of the neck, before leaning up to kiss the side of his head. He nuzzled Jack gently with his head before kissing him again. Jack sniffled as the Doctor comforted him, his crying turning to one last hiccup as the Doctor helped him to calm down. The problem was all the kissing and nuzzling had led to a very noticeable problem. He pushed his bottom back against the Doctor's groin, hearing the Doctor moan. 

"This isn't a good idea Jack," He whispered even as he felt his body responding. 

"Please, Doc. Just this once," Jack begged him softly. The Doctor didn't move as he continued to run his hand slowly along Jack's chest as he thought about his request. The room darkened to the point that Jack couldn't see anything. It terrified him to be in complete darkness and only the Doctor's hands holding him kept him grounded. He groaned as he felt the Doctor's hand drift steadily lower until a cool hand gripped his member. He couldn't help but thrust as the Doctor's hand ran slowly, teasing him. He whimpered as the Doctor's thumb ran along the head through his precum. He didn't know where the Doctor learned to use his hands that way and at the moment he didn't care. He just didn't want the Doctor to stop. He used his own hands to reach down and lower his trousers to his hips exposing his bottom. 

He could feel the Doctor hot and hard against him. He reached forward, finding the nightstand. He was relieved when his hand closed around a small bottle and he silently thanked the TARDIS. Opening the bottle, he squirted a small amount into his hand before reaching back to wrap it around the Doctor's member. The Doctor groaned as Jack made sure he was slick then guided the Doctor into his body. It amazed him how cool the Doctor felt inside him as the Doctor entered him in slow thrusts. The movements remained slow until he felt the Doctor's groin pressed firmly against his bottom. 

"Faster," He moaned. 

"Shhh," The Doctor hushed him. Not wanting their time together to end, he followed the Doctor's lead going quiet. He allowed the Doctor to control his body. Even if he wanted the Doctor to take him hard and fast, he had to agree that the soft and slow was nice. Sooner than he would have liked, he felt himself tensing as he fell over the edge. The Doctor pushed twice more into his body, before following him. He felt the Doctor's cool seed filling his body and he shuddered at the feeling. Turning his head, he kissed the Doctor tasting the cool mouth. There was a knock at the door, causing the Doctor to groan. He didn't break the kiss though as Jack deepened it exploring his cool mouth. They both heard the door handle jiggle before the person knocked again.

"Just a moment," The Doctor called out as he pulled away from Jack's mouth. He sounded breathless from their kissing. He kissed Jack apologetically on the side of the head before carefully pulling out of his body. Jack felt the bed shift and the lights came back on as the Doctor stood up. Jack rolled onto his back watching the Doctor hurry to the loo. He cleaned up and dressed in a pair of trousers hiding all evidence of what he had been up to. Jack watched him slip out of the door to the corridors but didn't hear their conversation as the Doctor spoke to Martha. Finally, the door opened again as the Doctor came back in. He returned to the bed, pulling his trousers off as he did. 

"Where were we?" The Doctor questioned as he climbed back into Jack's arms. Thankful that the moment was ruined, they once more began to kiss.


	24. Chapter 24

By morning, Jack and the Doctor were sleeping soundly in each other's arms with their bodies intertwined. Jack's leg was between the Doctor's while the Doctor's head was rested on Jack's arm. The blankets were skewed around them covering only parts of their bodies but the TARDIS had warmed the room to make sure that both men remained comfortable. She was glad that her thief had finally taken comfort in the arms of someone. He had been so lonely traveling on his own and now with the immortal, he wouldn't have to be alone anymore. The Doctor started to stir first, rubbing his face sleepily on Jack's arm. Opening his eyes, he smiled seeing that Jack was still there. He looked peaceful in his sleep and the Doctor couldn't help but lean forward kissing the immortal softly on the lips. Carefully, untangling himself from Jack's arms, he stretched his sore body. 

Jack yawned, opening his eyes as the loss of the cool body in his arms woke him. He rolled on his back feeling the dull ache that reminded him just how the Doctor had owned his body last night. He squirmed happily as he leaned up cupping the side of the Doctor's face with his hand pushing their mouths together. The Doctor groaned, leaning down into the kiss as Jack laid back on the bed. They kissed softly both still waking up. Jack spread his legs wide and the Doctor moved so that he was laying between them. He reached for the lube that was somehow back on the nightstand, adding it to his member before lining himself up with Jack's body. He didn't ask the TARDIS to dim the lights this time as Jack lifted his legs wrapping them around the Doctor's waist. They both moaned as the Doctor breeched Jack's body moving slowly inside him.

There was no rush, as they continued to kiss and taste each other's mouth as the Doctor thrust his hips. Jack's own member was left neglected between them as he held the Doctor's body as tightly as possible to himself. That didn't matter, however, as he felt himself fall over the edge as the Doctor found his prostate often. The Doctor followed him a moment later, groaning long and low as he pulled away from Jack's mouth to rest his head on his shoulder. Jack ran his hands along the Doctor's spine as they lay there in each other's arms. Despite just waking up, Jack could have fallen asleep again with the Doctor heavy on his chest while still buried deep inside him. 

"Morning," The Doctor spoke finally as he leaned up to look Jack in the eyes.

"Morning," Jack smiled. He lowered his legs as the Doctor rolled off of him collapsing onto the bed beside him. He stood up getting up off of the bed, heading towards the shower. Jack joined him a moment later and together the two of them washed before dressing for the day. Going to the kitchen, Jack was surprised to see Mickey making breakfast. There was a platter with sausage and bacon that was already cooked. The smell of eggs cooking was clear as Mickey worked on making pancakes. 

"You're just in time," Mickey announced as he slid another pancake onto the stack. He brought them over to the table along with the platter of sausage and bacon. "The eggs will be done in just a moment."

"Is there tea?" The Doctor questioned hopefully as Jack picked up a piece of bacon. 

"I make you breakfast and you ask for tea," Mickey muttered sounding indignant, even as he picked up the kettle. He poured the Doctor a cup of tea and then made four cups of coffee. He made a separate plate of food, taking it with one of the coffees out of the room for Alice. When he returned, Martha was with him. Jack moved so that he was sitting next to the Doctor allowing Martha to sit by her husband. 

"Did the Doctor tell you the good news?" Martha questioned as she began to fill her plate with food. 

"What good news?" Jack wondered looking towards the Doctor confused. 

"The energy transfer worked, Steven woke up last night," The Doctor informed him. He had meant to tell Jack last night but had become distracted by their lovemaking and had forgotten. He reached out squeezing Jack's hand apologetically.

"He wasn't awake long and he didn't say anything besides the word mum," Martha filled in for Jack. "His vitals are still the same, however, and I was wondering if it would be beneficially for him to receive another energy transfer."

"We need to give his body a chance to finish assimilating the energy his has first. If he doesn't show any signs of improvement by tomorrow then we can look into giving him more energy," The Doctor explained. He stabbed a piece of the egg with his fork bringing it to his mouth. He continued to talk despite the food in his mouth causing Martha to give him a look. "We don't know the long-term effects of autron energy being transferred directly into a human and I don't want to overwhelm his system with the energy."

"Isn't Jack an example of what happens when a human is exposed to Autron energy?" Mickey questioned. The Doctor shook his head no. He went to open his mouth to talk again but Martha interrupted him before he could. 

"Swallow your food first," Martha scolded him. The Doctor rolled his eyes as he picked up his cup of tea. He took a large drink, swallowing. 

"Jack is a unique case. His energy was given to him directly from the heart of the TARDIS and is infused in his cells," the Doctor explained vaguely.

"And I don't want Steven to end up like me," Jack spoke up finally. Being immortal was a curse that he wouldn't wish upon anybody. He had suffered more than any human should be able to over the years and he refused to allow his grandson end up the same way.

"He won't end up immortal," The Doctor promised glancing at Jack for just a moment before turning back to Martha. "I will examine Steven after breakfast to determine the best course of action. At that time, I can figure out if and when it will be safe to give him another energy transfer."

"Can I come with you to see him this time?" Jack questioned. 

"Of course," the Doctor answered before Martha could bring up that they should ask Alice. Jack leaned over giving him a kiss on the side of the head. The Doctor blushed, not returning the display of affection. He heard Mickey snicker and his face turned redder as he lowered it. 

"I'll inform Alice of the plan once we're done eating," Martha told them unable to keep the happiness out of her tone overseeing the two of them together. She was happy that they had finally given into their feelings for each other as it was obvious from the start that the Doctor needed Jack as much as Jack needed him. The Doctor cautiously began to raise his head and she averted her eyes as she returned to her meal.


	25. Chapter 25

With breakfast finished, Martha went ahead of the Doctor and Jack to warn Alice that her father was coming to help. While she still didn't want to see her father or have him see Steven, she was slowly beginning to accept that he was only trying to help his grandson. A part of her also understood that he had no choice but to use Steven to stop the 456. She couldn't forgive him, though, for nearly killing her son, not yet. She took Steven's hand in her own, squeezing it gently. A smile crossed her face as she felt Steven's fingers flex in her hand. 

"Steven, can you hear me?" Alice questioned softly. 

"Mum," Steven moaned. His eyes remained closed as he rolled his head towards the side towards her voice. 

"Yes, sweetheart, it's mummy," Alice nearly cried hearing him speak. She brought his hand up to her mouth kissing his fingers. 

"I don't feel good," He whimpered. Alice reached out gently stroking the hair back from his forehead. 

"I know, baby," she cooed. Martha stepped forward from where she had been standing watching their interaction. She was happy to hear that Steven was more awake and more aware this time. He was speaking to his mother in complete sentences but she was worried about how limp he remained on the bed. 

"Steven, my name is doctor Martha Jones. I would really like it if you could open your eyes for me," Martha told him, concerned by the way that he kept his eyes closed.

"No," Steven moaned as he ignored her request. 

"Is your head hurting you, Steven?" Martha questioned. She moved up closer to his head, pulling her penlight out of her pocket as she walked. 

"Mum," Steven whined again. Martha reached down gently using her fingers to open Steven's eye. The only thing she accomplished was making him mad. He groaned loudly as he lifted his own hand trying to knock her hand away. "Stop it."

"It's alright, Steven, she is only trying to help. Though, I agree with you. Getting a light shined in your eyes is a nasty thing when you are trying to sleep," The Doctor commented as he came into the room with Jack by his side. Jack paused in the doorway, overwhelmed by the fact that Steven was awake. The Doctor gave Jack's hand a gentle tug and Jack stumbled forwards a few steps. Releasing his hand, the Doctor moved closer to the bed. 

"Who?" Steven asked sounding confused by the voice. All of the strange voices in the room, with the bright lights, were quickly becoming overwhelming. His hearts visibly sped up while his breath came in shorter, shallower gasp. He tensed, his hand tightening around his mother's in his fear. 

"I'm the Doctor," the Doctor answered. Reaching out he pressed his fingers softly against Steven's forehead. "Rest now. You'll feel better when you wake up again." The Doctor reassured him as he pushed past Steven's weak barriers and guided him to sleep. Steven's breathing evened out as his hearts slowed back to a normal pace. 

"I really wish you wouldn't have done that, I needed to know what was hurting him," Martha scolded the Doctor. She checked Steven's pupil response, happy that they responded normally. His blood oxygen levels were starting to come back up and he was once more relaxed on the bed. 

"Him being afraid and then passing out isn't going to tell us anything," The Doctor answered. He moved over to the cupboard opening. Digging through it a moment, he mumbled under his breath before slamming the cupboard shut. No one commented as he strolled across the room going out the door.

"What was that about?" Martha asked Jack. Jack shrugged. Finally, finding his legs again he moved slowly towards Steven's bed. It had been nice to hear his voice again, even if it was soft and scratchy. He wanted to hold Steven's hand but it was obvious that Alice wasn't going to let him as she held her son's hand tightly in her own. Instead, he stood next to the bed placing a hand on Steven's leg as he looked at the sleeping child.

"I'm sorry, Alice," Jack whispered. He couldn't remember how many times he had apologized to his daughter but he would continue to apologize every day until she forgave him. 

"I know," Alice responded not looking at her father. "I can't forgive you, though, dad not yet."

"I understand. I'm sorry I hurt him, Alice. I wish every day that I could go back in time and change what happened but I can't," Jack told her. He dared to look over at her. She was staring at her son as she spoke. She had unshed tears in her eyes once more and she wiped them away with the back of her hand. Jack started to turn back to look at Steven as the door to the room opened once more and the Doctor bounded in. 

"Found it," He announced happily. Jack wiped away his own tears as he turned to look at his lover. 

"What did you find?" Jack questioned. The Doctor held up a small device. The device looked like a diabetic's blood sugar monitor. Jack narrowed his eyes in confusion at the device. "Is he having a problem with his blood sugar."

"Is he?" The Doctor looked just as confused for a moment as he turned to look at Martha. She shook her head no and the Doctor smiled again as he looked back at Jack. 

"Then why do you have a blood sugar monitor?" Jack wondered.

"I converted it to be able to measure my energy levels. I am going to use it to test the energy levels in Steven's body so that we can determine the best time to give him another transfer," the Doctor explained. Moving towards the bed, he pulled a clean needle out of his pocket. He took Steven's hand in his pricking the little boy's finger. He placed a drop of the blood on the monitor. Laying Steven's hand back on the bed, he waited a moment for the reader to return the measurments. When the reader finally beeped, he furrowed his brow in concern. Picking Steven's hand back up, he took another drop of blood. The reading was the same. "Steven's body has already absorbed and used most of the energy that it was provided. He needs another transfer now if he is going to continue to use the energy to heal."

"How is that possible?" Martha wondered. 

"I don't know," The Doctor whispered. Normally he liked not knowing things. It kept him on his toes and gave him a reason to spend hours in his library researching the answer. This was not one of those times. Steven's body should not have been able to use the energy he received as effectively as it had. He was going to have to find out why, but first, he needed to help Jack provide his grandson with energy. Taking Jack's hands in his own, he guided Jack's hands to Steven's temples. It was easier this time to transfer the energy into Steven's body as this time Jack knew what to expect. When the transfer was complete, the Doctor took another blood sample before rushing out of the room leaving Jack with Alice and Martha. Jack stared at the two women for just a moment before deciding that he didn't want to be there. His only other choice was to spend time with Mickey or alone. Wondering what two player games Mickey had brought, Jack went to go find the young man.


	26. Chapter 26

Jack sat in the family lounge with Mickey. Mickey had found several video games aboard the Doctor's TARDIS that the two of them could play. They didn't talk as they raced across familiar cities on the planet earth or jumped across made up planets around the universe. It was nice to have a moment where he didn't have to think as he concentrated on either beating or helping Mickey with the game. They were both concentrating on the game, so neither one of them noticed that the Doctor had entered the room until he flopped down on the couch next to Jack practically sitting on his leg. Jack smiled as he shifted so that he was leaning against the Doctor's chest. The Doctor glanced quickly at Mickey before lifting his arm wrapping it around Jack's shoulders. Jack smiled as he felt a soft kiss on the top of his head. 

"Did you finish your research on Steven's blood?" Jack questioned. The Doctor shook his head before remembering that Jack couldn't see him. 

"No, I have an idea about why he is able to process the artron energy in his body but it will take longer to confirm my hypothesis," The Doctor answered him vaguely. 

"Which is?" Jack wondered. The Doctor didn't get a chance to answer as Jack leaned forward swearing as he slammed buttons. On the screen, he had become engaged in a battle and was losing horribly. The Doctor reached over taking the control from his hand. "Hey," Jack protested as the Doctor continued to battle.

"You've been holding out on me, boss," Mickey told him impressed with the Doctor's capability while playing the game. Despite the Doctor having the game aboard his ship, Mickey thought that the game belonged to one of his companions. The Doctor had obviously played the game previously and enjoyed it. "How long have you been playing?"

"Long enough, now get to the left of me before he kills you," The Doctor demanded. Mickey didn't argue as he moved his character to the left just moments before a ball of fire exploded right where he had been standing. Jack looked over to see the Doctor concentrating on the screen with his tongue pressed against the back of his teeth. He finished the battle for Jack before passing the control back to his lover. 

"It is because of you," The Doctor answered. 

"What is?" Jack asked slightly confused. 

"The reason that Steven's body can efficiently use the Artron energy it was provided is because of you," The Doctor explained. Jack paused the game, lowering the control so that he could turn his full attention to the Doctor. The concern and confusion was clear in his eyes. 

"What?" Jack questioned the words sticking in his throat. He swallowed hard before trying again. "What does that mean? Could the fact I am giving him my artron energy cause him to become immortal too?"

"No. I promise that he is never going to become immortal," The Doctor reassured Jack. "He may have a longer life or heal faster from his injuries but he is never going to be immortal. What it does mean is that his body recognizes the energy that we provided it and was able to effectively use it. From the blood that I took, I was able to find that his body produces antibodies that I haven't seen in anyone else's blood but yours. I would like a bone marrow sample in order to confirm my findings only I am not going to subject Steven to that kind of procedure just to satisfy my curiosity."

"So it is safe for him to continue to receive energy transfers?" Jack wondered softly as he tried to understand what the Doctor was telling him. 

"It is perfectly safe and I would recommend continuing to give him the energy until he is back on his feet in order to help with his healing," The Doctor answered. 

"Have you told Martha yet?" Mickey wondered. 

"No," The Doctor answered taking the controller back from Jack and unpausing the game again. "I wanted to complete my research before involving Martha. However, I will discuss continuing the energy transfers with Alice later tonight."

"Alice will never agree," Jack told him sadly. 

"Despite Alice's anger, she only wants what is best for Steven. I am sure that if I explain why it is beneficial for Steven to continue to receive the energy transfers, she will agree to them," the Doctor explained. He hit a few buttons, his character being surprised from behind by a monster. "Oh come on. Mickey a little protection please."

"Sorry," Mickey laughed amused at how involved in the game that the Doctor was. Jack leaned back, sitting between the two men as he watched them play the game. It was a lot to take in. When he had first returned to the earth back in the eighteen hundreds he didn't know that he was immortal. He had taken a wife and she gave birth to his first child a few years later. His baby girl took her first and last breath on the same day and not too long later her mother joined her in the ground. He was cautious before having children again but inevitably he fell in love taking a second wife. Together they had two sons and from those two sons, he received seven grandchildren. It was only after he learned that he was immortal that he worried about the consequences of having children. It had taken years but he was able to track down his children and grandchildren. He was thankful to find out that none of them were immortal or suffered because of him. 

Alice was different, however. Alice was taken from him at a young age by her mother. She knew that Jack was immortal due to the work they both did at Torchwood. She had begged him at first to make her an immortal like him, not believing that Jack didn't know how. Even if he had, he wouldn't have done it as he wouldn't worse the curse of immortality on anyone. Still, he tried to make their marriage work for Alice's sake. Yet, when Alice was two, she declared that Jack was unsafe. It took him years to find his daughter again and their relationship had always been rocky at best. Now, he knew that he had hurt her again. Not only had he tried to take her son away from him but he had passed on part of his curse. 

"I'm going to bed," Jack declared shaking himself from his thoughts. He used the Doctor's leg as leverage to push himself to his feet. The Doctor paused the game looking up at him in concern. 

"Would you like me to join you?" The Doctor questioned.

"Honestly, Doc, I just want to be alone for a minute," Jack told him. The Doctor nodded allowing Jack to cross in front of him before unpausing the game. Going out into the hall, Jack started towards the Doctor's room before changing his mind. Crossing the hall, he instead made his way down the corridor and turned at the first one going left. About half way down, he found the swimming pool. He went inside the room, stripping down to just his pants. Climbing into the pool, he swam a lap before situating himself in the middle. Closing his eyes, he took a deep breath and allowed his body to sink to the bottom. Sitting cross-legged, he listened to the sound of his heart as he tried to stop his mind from wondering if maybe Alice's mother had been right in taking her away. He had proved time and time again that he was a danger not only to himself but the people he loved. He ignored the aching in his chest as his lungs begged him to take a breath. Letting the air out slowly, he fought the urge to swim to the surface. He forced himself to sit on the bottom of the pool as his body screamed at him to surface. Finally, the darkness overtook him and for a glorious moment, his world was silent.


	27. Chapter 27

Jack came back to find himself laying on the hard ground beside the pool. He could feel a cool body pressed against his. He didn't have to open his eyes to know that the Doctor had found him and dragged him out of the pool. He kept his eyes closed, breathing slowly as he felt the Doctor's cool breath against his skin. 

"My mind knows that you will come back to me, but seeing you in the pool broke my hearts," The Doctor whispered. He pressed a gentle kiss to the side of Jack's head. "Please, don't kill yourself again, Jack. There are other ways to silent your mind for a moment, or to relieve the pain you are feeling."

"I know, and I'm sorry," Jack murmured softly. He opened his eyes turning his head to catch the Doctor's lips. "I'm sorry," He proclaimed again as he kissed the Doctor once more. He kept whispering the words as he rolled his body so that it was laying on top of the Doctor's chest. The Doctor returned each gentle kiss as Jack's hands worked to remove his wet shirt followed by his own. It was the Doctor's hands, though, that reached down between them to free their members from the confines of their trousers. Jack reached down working their trousers lower, continuing to whisper his apology. He groaned deeply as he felt the Doctor's cool hand wrapped around his need. He felt a slickness and he almost fell over the edge as he realized the Doctor was preparing him. He shuffled his body lower moving helping the Doctor to kick off his trousers in the process. Lifting the Doctor's legs, he settled between them. 

"I'm sorry," he whispered again as he pushed forward breaching the Doctor's body for the first time. The Doctor threw his head back, closing his eyes tightly as Jack continued to move closer. Jack gave him a moment to adjust before thrusting slowly. He continued to apologize kissing the Doctor along his neck and down to his chest. The Doctor opened his eyes reaching up to wrap his arms around Jack's back pulling him down.

"Shhh. It's all right, Jack," the Doctor shushed him calmly. He ran his hand soothingly along Jack's back, his own back arching as Jack hit a place deep inside him. Jack didn't listen as he continued to apologize as he continued to move. Eventually, the pleasure became too much and he fell over the edge first deep inside the Doctor's body. Not wanting to be a selfish lover, he reached down between them ready to bring the Doctor with him. He smiled upon finding that the Doctor had found his own release from the feeling of Jack's seed deep inside him. Jack collapsed forward resting his head on the Doctor's shoulder as he tried to catch his breath. The Doctor tensed his muscles around Jack causing them both to moan. "Feeling better?"

"I am, thank you," Jack agreed, kissing the side of the Doctor's neck.

"You don't need to thank me. Just don't let me find you floating in the swimming pool again," The Doctor told him. Jack lifted his head to look in the Doctor's eyes.

"I'm sorry," Jack repeated himself one last time. The Doctor rolled his eyes. 

"Stop apologizing, Captain," The Doctor told him trying to sound stern. Jack smiled, leaning down to kiss the Doctor softly on the lips. The Doctor kissed him back, then positioned his hands on Jack's shoulders to push him up and off of his body. Jack gently pulled out of the Doctor's body as he sat up. The Doctor made a face upon feeling Jack's release running down his bottom. He sat up grabbing his clothes. They were soaking wet, so he held them as he mentally contacted the TARDIS. Stepping out into the corridor, he crossed the hall directly into his own bedroom with Jack following him. Together they entered the shower, washing off the evidence of the time they spent on the floor by the pool. Once done, they dressed before returning to the family lounge where Mickey was waiting with the game still paused. During the time that the Doctor had been gone, though, Mickey had gone to make two coffee's as well as a cup of tea. He had also grabbed a bag of crisp and two bananas for the Doctor. 

"I was wondering what was taking you so long to find him," Mickey commented as the Doctor took his place on the couch again, leaving room for Jack to sit beside him. A part of Jack still wanted to be alone but he knew that wasn't going to happen again anytime soon. He had broken the Doctor's trust by killing himself in the pool and the Doctor would keep him near to make sure that he was alright. 

"He was in the pool," the Doctor answered Mickey vaguely. He took a drink of his tea, then picked up his controller again. 

"I wasn't judging," Mickey laughed. He had been trained to read people while living in Pete's world. He also wasn't stupid, he could see that both of their hair was wet and that they had changed their clothes. He could also smell the shampoo they used in the shower clearly. It wasn't hard for him to come to the conclusion that they had slept together before returing to the lounge. The Doctor glared at him as he unpaused the game. Within a moment, Mickey's character was laying dead on the ground beside the Doctor's character. Mickey swore colorfully, hitting buttons to try to force his character to revive faster. 

"Whoops," The Doctor said cheerfully. Jack laughed half-heartedly. He picked up his own cup of coffee adjusting so that he could lean against the Doctor. The Doctor released one side of the controller so that he could allow Jack to cuddle against him. The Doctor didn't care that Mickey was there with them as he provided comfort to his lover. He needed to feel Jack's warm body against him as he couldn't shake the memory of seeing Jack floating face down in the pool. He adjusted Jack so that he could continue playing the game. Taking the controller again, he played the game with Jack watching them. The coffee began to droop and the Doctor caught it before it spilled over the two of them. He set it back on the table. 

"Do you want to tell me what really happened?" Mickey questioned as he looked over at Jack. It was clear to see that Jack had fallen asleep against the Doctor's chest. His eyes were closed and he was breathing evenly.

"He drowned himself in the pool," The Doctor answered. He rested his cheek on the top of Jack's head for just a moment, showing affection for the man sleeping in his arms. "I had to pull him out and our clothes were soaked. So we showered and changed."

"That's it?" Mickey asked.

"That's all you need to know," The Doctor responded. Mickey swore once more as his character dropped to the ground. He glanced over at the Doctor, who was watching him, the look in his eyes clear. Nodding, they both turned back to the game.


	28. Chapter 28

The Doctor held Jack for several hours just letting him rest as he played video games against Mickey. When it became obvious that Jack had no intention of waking, however, he turned off the game carefully laying Jack on the couch. As much as he wanted to stay holding Jack, there was still other work that needed to be done around the TARDIS. Sending a silent command to the TARDIS, he asked her to inform him when Jack was awake before leaving him to rest. Going to Steven's room, he sat down in the chair by Alice to discuss his findings. He wasn't surprised by her unhappiness with her father's active involvement, even if she did understand the need for him to help. 

Slowly, over the next few days, she came around as Steven began to wake more often. Each time he woke, he would complain for his mum, complaining that he didn't feel good. He never seemed to remember their previous conversations explaining that he had taken ill or be able to piece together that he was lying in what seemed to be a hospital bed because of his illness. Worried, the Doctor ran another MRI and CT scan on his head but it showed nothing they weren't already aware of. The evidence was clear, even before he woke, that his body had been badly damaged due to his involvement in stopping the 456. Only time would tell if the little boy that Alice knew and loved would return fully to her but in the meantime, she was just thankful to have her son back. Even if she wished that just one morning she would open her eyes to find that it had all just been a horrible dream. 

"Are you listening to me, Alice?" The Doctor questioned as he distracted her from her thoughts. 

"No," Alice admitted with a yawn. It was early on the TARDIS and as far as she knew the only two people awake at the moment were her and the Doctor. Martha had yet to join them for Steven's early morning stretches, nor her father to give Steven his energy boost for the day. 

"I was saying that after Martha is up, I think it is about time that we tried to get Steven up out of bed for a little while," The Doctor informed her. Based on his examinations Steven was healing well and the stitches would be able to be removed from his abdomen in the next few days. 

"He won't be able to walk on his own," Alice argued on her son's behalf, bewildered by the thought that the Doctor wanted to get him out of bed. 

"I understand that and I am not expecting him to run a triathlon on Ursa Major yet. I just think it would be good for him to have a change of scenery and the gardens upon the TARDIS are perfect for a walk. I even have a wheelchair that we can place him into that will support his body as well as his head," The Doctor explained to her. 

"I don't know," Alice dragged out the words showing her hesitance. While she agreed that the gardens were beautiful, she was reluctant to move Steven yet. Least of all because he became easily confused and twice in the last week the Doctor had to put him back to sleep in order to calm him. 

"Martha, Jack and I will be right there with you the entire time and if it becomes too much for him, we will immediately return to the medi-bay," The Doctor reassured her.

"Can I think about it for a moment?" Alice wondered. 

"Take your time. I am going to wake Jack and make breakfast. Hopefully, by then, Martha will be awake so that we can give Steven his daily energy transfer. I would like to take Steven out shortly after that while he is still awake and aware," The Doctor informed her. Alice nodded as she reached as she reached out to her son, resting her hand on his arm. She wasn't sure about moving him but then again she wasn't sure about anything involving his care recently. She just had to trust that the Doctor and Martha were doing what was right for her child. She heard the door open, then close as the Doctor left the room leaving her alone with her child. Watching him sleep, she could almost pretend that when he woke up she would have her son back. 

-DW- 

Jack laid on the beach of his childhood home. He was alone except for the birds calling in the distance. The place had been abandoned ever since the Sitarikira had attacked their peaceful village killing many of the adults and taking their children. His own brother had been taken that day as he failed to hold on to his hand. Later he found that his father had lost his life as well. His mother couldn't cope with their losses, retreating into herself and causing Jack to grow up quickly as he cared for her. He had once hated this beach that had claimed his family, running for so many years from the peninsula. After joining the Time Agency, however, he often found himself returning to the last place he had called home. Even if it was just to relieve the memories of when he had been happy.

Closing his eyes, he could hear his father and brother nearby. His father was explaining to Gray how to properly tie the net in order to catch the proper sized fish. If the holes were too large all the fish would escape leaving their nets empty but too small they would get the young fish ruining the population. Jack listened as his fingers moved in the familiar pattern. 

"You have to forgive yourself for their deaths. It wasn't your fault that you couldn't save them," Ianto whispered. 

"He was just a child and I was supposed to protect him. Instead, I let go leaving him to the Sitarikira to take and mold as one of their own," Jack answered. He could no longer hear his father and brother speaking as the voices faded leaving him alone once more. 

"You were just a child yourself, Jack," Ianto reminded him. 

"I was his brother I should have," Jack argued opening his eyes to find that he was back on the TARDIS laying alone on the couch. "Protected him." He finished to the empty room. Turning over, he pressed his face into the Doctor's pillow breathing in his scent as he closed his eyes trying desperately to return once more to the beach and happiness that he had lost so long ago.


	29. Chapter 29

The Doctor entered his room to find Jack still asleep. Crawling up on the bed, he kissed his lover softly on the forehead as he ran the back of his fingers down the side of Jack's face. Jack moaned softly as he opened his eyes, once more disturbed from his dreams. Despite it being the man that he loved waking him, he just wanted to return to his dreams where he sat with Ianto as he listened to his father and brother work. It had been a peaceful dream for a change and Jack couldn't remember the last time his dreams hadn't been filled with pain and fear. He rolled so that his back was facing the Doctor, trying to hide the tears that now filled his eyes. 

"What is the matter, Jack?" The Doctor asked in concern as he sat up. He had been looking forward to waking his lover and perhaps having a quickie before going to the kitchen to make breakfast. It amazed him how quickly he had gotten used to having Jack as his lover after accepting that he did, in fact, love the con-man who stole his hearts. 

"I just want to go home," Jack told him softly. The Doctor nodded. Homesickness he understood well. As a child, all he dreamed about was seeing the stars. He fought every day to get off the planet that he was born on and to travel among them, even going so far to steal the TARDIS in order to escape. After leaving, he had only returned to the planet when he was called or to visit his family but never stayed longer than he had to. Now that Gallifrey was gone he wished that he could return one last time. That he could run through the red grass of Koschei's farm and watch the twin suns rise over the silver trees. His gardens were all that he had left, though. Just a small part of his home that the TARDIS had constructed from his memories in order to help him.

"I could take you there if you want," The Doctor offered trying to help Jack. Jack shook his head no. 

"My home is also gone, Doc," Jack responded. While the beach from his childhood still remained, the place itself had been destroyed during the attack. There was no point in returning to find that his parents were still gone and his brother was still missing. Then there was his home in Cardiff with his first wife, that home had also died along with their child. He had wandered for years after that, never really calling any place home until he found Ianto. Yet, once more that home had been fleeting leaving him wandering aimlessly until the Doctor found him. 

"Come with me," the Doctor told him as he had an idea. Jack didn't move so he reached down taking Jack's hand into his own and giving it a gentle tug.

"I really don't want to, Doc," Jack advised him not moving. 

"I know, but come anyways," The Doctor responded. Jack sighed as he forced himself to move. He didn't know what the Doctor was planning and didn't really care. He could go with the Doctor, then give Steven his energy transfer for the day before climbing back into the comfort of his bed. He shuffled his feet as he followed the Doctor out of his bedroom and down the hall, coming to the control room. He stood watching for a moment as the Doctor danced around the console. Taking the opportunity to escape, he turned his back heading down the hall. He made it about half way before the Doctor caught up with him. Placing one hand on each of his shoulders, he turned Jack around taking him back to the control room and over to the console. He picked up a small round orb that was attached to the TARDIS by several wires. 

"I want you to take this in your hands and then concentrate on the place you call home. Form the picture clearly in your mind remembering as many details as you can," The Doctor informed him, continuing on as though nothing had happened. Jack sighed as he took the orb from the Doctor. He closed his eyes concentrating on the beach that he had been laying on in his dreams. He felt the orb growing warmer in his hands as he thought about the way the waves had lapped gently on the beach. In his mind, he could see the complex that was his childhood home standing out among the waves. The orb cooled and he felt the Doctor take it from him. Opening his eyes he watched as the Doctor laid the orb back on the console. 

"What did that accomplish?" He asked the Doctor slightly irritated. The Doctor smiled brightly at him. 

"You'll see soon. First, though, we are going to have breakfast and then go to see Steven," The Doctor told Jack, giving the TARDIS time to work. 

"I'm going back to bed," Jack responded, going back to the corridors. The Doctor didn't give him a chance, though, as he was once more taken by the hand and steered into Steven's room. He sighed upon seeing that Martha and Alice were both in the room sipping cups of coffee. He really just wanted to be alone but it was obvious that the Doctor wasn't going to allow him that freedom. Then again the last time he had left the Doctor when he was feeling down, the Doctor had found him floating face down in the pool. Despite Jack's promise that he would never allow the Doctor to find him in the pool again he knew that it would take time for the Doctor to actually trust him. 

"Have you made a decision yet, Alice?" The Doctor asked as he closed the door behind them. 

"I have and I don't think it is a good idea to move my son quite yet," Alice answered. Jack looked at the Doctor in confusion. The Doctor hadn't mentioned moving Steven to him or he would have tried to talk him out of it.

"Well I understand your reasoning, I still think it would be best for Steven to see the gardens," The Doctor responded.

"I agree with the Doctor. Despite the fact that Steven still spends most of his days asleep, he is medically stable. A short walk around the TARDIS gardens would be good for him," Martha advised Alice. Alice looked to Martha. While she trusted both of their opinions she didn't want to risk endangering or confusing her son. 

"I promise Alice, we won't be going far. The garden is just across the hall and we can return the moment that he needs too," The Doctor reassured her. 

"Alright," Alice agreed after a long moment continuing to put her trust in Martha and the Doctor. With the decision made, Martha went to get Steven a wheelchair while the Doctor helped Jack perform the energy transfer. Just like the Doctor expected, once the energy transfer was completed Steven moaned softly opening his eyes.

"Mum," He questioned his voice soft and hoarse.

"I'm right here baby," She told him as she took his hand.

"I don't feel good," he complained squeezing her hand in his. 

"I know sweetheart, but you are getting better," Alice promised him, following their daily conversation. It broke her heart every time Steven woke up and she had to repeat her lines as if she were in a play. The words seemed to comfort her son, though, so she would say them until he finally remembered that he was safe and loved. "Today, we are even going to go for a walk in the gardens. Doesn't that sound lovely."

"Yeah, but I'm tired, mum," Steven whined closing his eyes again. 

"That's alright, Steven. It will just be a short walk," The Doctor told him causing Steven to open his eyes again. He looked at the Doctor, the confusion clear in his eyes. He looked towards his mum then Jack, a smile crossing his face as they settled on the Captain. 

"Uncle," he said happily. "Are you going with us?"

"I am," Jack agreed feeling trapped. Knowing that he had no other choice. He looked towards his lover wondering what surprise he had in mind for the two of them and just like Steven wondered how long it would be before he could return to his bed. Martha stopped him from asking, though, as she returned with the wheelchair in tow. Jack stood to the side letting the Doctor and Martha place Steven in the wheelchair. They buckled him in hooking his IV to a small pole on the side and then hanging a small oxygen tank to the back of the chair. Once he was ready, Martha pushed the chair allowing Alice to walk beside him. Steven held his mum's hand tightly as together they crossed the hall into one of the Doctor's many gardens. 

It was one of the smaller gardens, with a long path brick that circled the inside. Blue and white flowers of various sizes covered the ground and in the distance, there was an appearance of trees growing. Jack felt disappointed as he walked with the Doctor. This garden had never been one of his favorites as he had always thought it was too simple. He understood the Doctors decision in choosing it, however, as it wouldn't over stimulate Steven on his first trip out. Still, it was obvious he was afraid due to the change as he gripped his mum's hand tightly the entire way. 

"I want to go back," He whispered after a short time. 

"There is a bench ahead with a small pond. Do you want to sit there for awhile instead," Martha questioned. 

"No, I want to go back," Steven argued sounding more agitated. They hadn't made it as far as she hoped but still, they had gotten him out of his room. Each day they would try again until he was willing to spend more time outside of his room.

"Alright, let's get you back to your room," Martha agreed turning the chair around. They wheeled Steven back to his room, settling him into bed once more. Back in the familiar room, Steven immediately drifted back to sleep and Alice took her place once more beside his bed. With everyone falling back to their normal routines, it was time for Jack's surprise. The Doctor just hoped that he took it better than Steven did.


	30. Chapter 30

The Doctor took Jack's hand leading him down the corridor towards their room. For just one moment, Jack was allowed to hope that he was going to be able to lay down again. He was disappointed, however, when the Doctor stopped at a door before reaching their room. The door had symbols on it that Jack had never seen aboard the TARDIS before but had learned years ago when he was a child on the Boshane Penninsula. He reached out running his fingers along the familiar writing, feeling the indentations of his name. He didn't ask the Doctor before opening the door and stepping into the room. 

He paused as he saw his childhood home standing in the distance. He could see the waves lapping softly on the beach and smell the sea in the air. He took a hesitant step forward feeling the soft sand move beneath his feet. He didn't think about it as he sat down pulling off his shoes and socks. He stood up feeling the sand beneath his toes and he smiled as he walked further in. To the right, he could see the sparse grasses leading up to the trees that he use to play in. It was also within those trees that he hid when the Sitarikira attacked. As he moved closer to the water he could almost feel the mist from the water on his face. He held his hands out to it, enjoying the feeling of the spray against his skin. He turned to express his disbelief at the realness of this place to the Doctor and that is when he realized he was alone. He looked around confused to find his lover standing in the doorway watching him. 

"Aren't you coming?" Jack asked him.

"I made this place for you, Jack. No one else is allowed in this room unless you invite them," The Doctor advised him. Jack smiled looking around his own little piece of his home within the TARDIS walls. He turned back to the Doctor, the smiled never leaving his face as he held out his hand to him. The Doctor's own smile mirrored his as he toed off his own shoes before joining Jack down on the beach. 

"I was born inside the walls of that building and lived there until my village was attacked. It may not look like much but inside that broken down building, there was a small community of fishers who tried their best to survive on this piece of dirt. We never asked for much help from the outside world until our own world was destroyed," Jack told the Doctor as he pointed to the home in the distance. "We spent a lot of time on this beach, playing or working. It was here on the beach, my father taught my brother and me how to make our own nets." He hung his head as he toed the sand. "Except it is gone now, this isn't really my home no matter how much it looks like it."

"No," The Doctor agreed looking at the home standing in the distance. No matter how hard Jack tried he would never be able to reach the building. Just like no matter how hard he tried, he would never reach the old barn in his own room. He glanced at Jack out of the corner of his eyes as Jack reached out to take his hand. The Doctor squeezed it tightly as they both watched the water lapping slowly against the shore. 

"How did she make this room?" Jack asked after a long moment of silence between the two of them. 

"From your memories while holding the orb. The trees and grass I imagine came from one of the many other gardens aboard the TARDIS. I'm not sure where she got the sand from but the water is being filtered in," The Doctor answered. "When I first regenerated into the body I meet you in, I was just as lost and confused. I spent hours alone inside the TARDIS, staring at the walls, hoping I would never wake up. In order to help me cope, she made me my own garden allowing me to have a piece of my home back. One day, if you would like, I will show it to you."

"I would," Jack agreed. He turned his head kissing the Doctor softly on the lips. The Doctor kissed him back for a short moment before letting go of Jack's hand, he leaned over to run his fingers through the sand. As he did Jack flopped down beside him sitting in the sand. He leaned back so that he could see the clouds fixed in the sky. What appeared to be a sun was peeking out providing light to the large room. The Doctor sat down beside him. Running his hand through the sand, he tossed a small amount on Jack's legs causing him to laugh. He picked up his own hand full throwing it on the Doctor's chest. The Doctor looked outraged causing Jack to laugh. Grabbing another handful, he threw it on the Doctor. 

"Jack," The Doctor complained as it went down his suit. 

"Let me help you with that," Jack offered, reaching into the front of his suit. The Doctor gasped as he felt Jack's hot hand against his cool chest. He pressed his mouth to the Captain's kissing him deeply as together they made quick work of their clothes. The Doctor laid on his back in the sand as Jack knelt between his legs moving deep within his body. Their mouths never separated for long until they rolled in the sand so that the Doctor was now on top. He rested one hand on Jack's chest staring deep into his eyes as he moved his hips slowly riding his lover.

"Jack, please," The Doctor whined as he needed to find his release but couldn't. Jack took pity on the Time Lord, reaching down between them and taking him into his hand. The Doctor quickly fell over the edge from the duel feeling of Jack buried deep within him and his hot hand on him. He collapsed limblessly on his lover. Jack bent his legs up, finding his own release deep in his lover's body. The Doctor moaned, resting his head on Jack's chest. Their bodies were still locked together but he didn't feel much like moving at the moment. His stomach had other ideas growling loudly and reminding him that he hadn't ate breakfast yet. Reluctantly, he stood up allowing their bodies to separate. 

"I'm going to shower and then find something to eat. Do you want to join me?" The Doctor questioned. 

"Actually, Doc, is it alright if I stay here for awhile?" Jack wondered. 

"Of course,' The Doctor agreed. He retrieved his trousers, pulling them on before setting out into the corridors. Jack watched him go waiting until the door was shut. He then turned his attention back to the water. Closing his eyes, for a moment, he could almost imagine he was home.


	31. Chapter 31

That night, Jack couldn't sleep. He sat on the edge of the bed, with his head in his hands as the Doctor laid sprawled naked on his stomach behind him. Sleeping the deep sleep of a sated Time Lord. Jack had lain with him for awhile, trying to join him in his rest before giving up and moving to the end of the bed. It was times like this, that he wished that he was back in the hotel room with the knife in his hand. The knife had worked better than any sleeping pill or alcohol that he had found. The Doctor, though, wouldn't understand. He would think that he had failed Jack by not keeping him safe. It was for that reason that Jack hadn't killed himself since the day in the pool, despite thinking about it.

Standing up, he picked up his trousers off the floor of the room. He put them on before quietly slipping out the door and into the corridors. It was late and the TARDIS was quiet as everyone else slept. He wandered slowly down the corridor, making his way past the kitchen, his rooms, and the living area. He wasn't sure where he was heading he just wanted to keep moving. As he passed the medi-bays, however, he heard someone crying softly. Going to the door of Steven's room, he opened it letting himself inside. It was the first time that he had been alone in Steven's room without Martha or the Doctor and he felt apprehensive as he approached his grandson's bed. As he drew closer, he could see that Alice was sound asleep in her chair with her head resting on Steven's bed, but Steven was awake. He made no move to wake his mother as he stared at her. 

"What's wrong, Steven?" Jack questioned quietly as he approached the bed. Steven didn't answer him as he continued to watch Alice sleep. Jack sat down on the edge of the bed, thumbing away one of the tears on his cheek before taking Steven's hand in his. "Can't sleep either?"

"No," Steven whispered. He looked up at Jack and he could see the confusion in the young boy's eyes. "What happened, Uncle?"

"I," Jack started then paused. He had explained to Steven what happened to him while he was in the coma. Of course, Steven wouldn't remember that. He was hurting and his mother was sad but he didn't understand why. "You were hurt, Steven, but don't worry the Doctor and Martha are making sure that you are getting better. Soon you will be home again with your mum and playing football with your friends."

"How was I hurt?" Steven whispered. Jack sighed. He shouldn't have come into Steven's room alone because now Steven was asking questions and he wasn't sure he wanted to answer them again. It didn't matter that come morning Steven probably wouldn't remember their conversation. For a brief time, Steven would know the truth about why he was laid up in the hospital bed. He would know that Jack had hurt him and it wouldn't matter that Jack had no choice in order to save the rest of the planet. What would matter is the man that Steven trusted had nearly killed him and now he faced months of rehabilitation in order to get back on his feet. It killed Jack to know that he could lose the little boy he cared so much about, even as he watched him get his strength back. Still, Steven deserved to know the truth. 

"I want to show you something," Jack told him, making a decision and not thinking about the consequences. Reaching up Jack unhooked the IV from its stand. He shut off the main oxygen line, switching out the mask for the one hooked to the portable tank. He stood up, then as carefully as he could picked Steven up in his arms. He carried his grandson out of the medi-bay and down the corridors to the room that the Doctor had made him earlier that day. Entering the room, he kicked the door closed behind him moving down the beach so that he could just feel the mist of the water on his face. Sitting down, he cradled Steven close to him as he looked out at the water. 

"Where are we?" Steven wondered. He seemed more content resting in Jack's arms then he had in the wheelchair earlier in the day. 

"I was born here, Steven. That place you see in the distance was my home," Jack answered him. "I was once happy here with my family. Your grandfather was a fisherman here and he taught me and your uncle how to live off the land. When I was about your age, though, my life changed as well. For years all I could do was dream about getting away from here but as the years passed, I wanted more than anything to see this place one more time." Jack looked down at his grandson, seeing that Steven was watching the waves lap against the shore as he listened to Jack. Jack didn't tell him what happened that day, as not even Alice knew the truth of what happened to her uncle and grandfather. Maybe one day he would tell Steven, but that would be years down the line when Steven was old enough to understand. For now, he just wanted to reassure the child that he would be alright. Taking a deep breath he continued. 

"I know you may not understand this now, but when I left this place I wasn't a good person. I made mistakes and hurt others. The Doctor tried to help me as well but things happened and he ended up leaving me behind. For years, I thought he had just abandoned me and it made me angry. Once more, I resulted to my old ways, not caring who I hurt. On the day you were hurt, my mistakes caught up to me. It was because of me that you almost died and that you are here in the TARDIS recovering," Jack admitted. He couldn't look at Steven as the tears filled his eyes. Once more he was standing on the base, watching as Steven sent the signal back to the 456, knowing that he was killing his grandson. 

"It's alright, Uncle Jack," Steven reassured him. Jack hugged Steven closer as the tears broke free rolling down his cheeks as he sobbed. Steven had every right to hate him for what he did but his grandson was offering him comfort from his tears. He bit the inside of his bottom lip hard, trying to control himself. After a long moment, he managed to get his sobbing down to the occasional sniffle. Calming down, he realized that Steven had gone quiet. He looked down to see that the little boy had fallen asleep once more in his arms. Carefully getting to his feet, he carried him back to his room laying him gently on his bed. He rehooked up the oxygen tank and hung the IV back beside his bed. Alice continued to sleep peacefully while he work, never realizing that her son had been out of her sight. Covering Steven, he tucked him in, then dropped a kiss softly on his forehead. 

"Thank you," he whispered. Letting himself out of the room, he returned to the Doctor's room to find the Time Lord was awake. In Jack's absence, he had sprawled out on the bed so that he was hogging both sides of it. He smiled cheekily at Jack as he approached the bed, hugging the pillow close. 

"Are you alright?" He asked his smile fading as he saw the tears in Jack's eyes. 

"I'm getting there," Jack answered truthfully. Unbuckling his trousers, he let them drop to the floor before climbing up on the bed and pouncing on the naked Time Lord.


	32. Chapter 32

As Steven woke up his days became harder. He cried every time that Martha entered the room knowing that she was going to stretch his sore body, force him to try to stand, or even worse walk. He clung to his mother begging her to make Martha go away. Alice felt horrible for going against her son's wishes but she knew that Martha was only doing what was best for him. Now that he was awake, they couldn't just let him lay around all day. Not if they wanted him to fully recover. His mind had yet to catch up with his body, however, making it hard for him to understand why they wouldn't just allow him to sleep. No matter how many times they explained it to him. 

His nights, though, were easier. After everyone had gone to bed for the night, Jack would sneak into his room carrying him to the beach. Together they would sit watching the waves lap against the shore as Jack told Steven stories. He no longer worried about whether or not Steven remembered as he told him the truth about his childhood and interesting stories from his travels. He respected Alice's wishes and didn't tell him that he was really his grandfather making the stories sound more like fantasy than the truth. As Steven woke more, he would ask Jack questions making Jack elaborate on the tale until he fell asleep in his arms. Only then would Jack carry him back to his room tucking him into his bed before returning to the Doctor's side. The Doctor would lay awake waiting for him, knowing that he had gone to his grandson's side after following him the second night. He didn't judge Jack or tell him it was dangerous to move Steven, knowing that they both needed the time alone together. 

As they fell into their routines, Jack felt lost during the days. He would wander the TARDIS aimlessly trying to find his place again. For so long he had relied on the alcohol and the knife as his sole means of survival, except now he had Steven, the Doctor and he hoped Alice again soon. While that gave him a reason to live at night and in the early mornings, he had nothing to occupy his time as they focused on getting Steven back on his feet. Bored one morning, he wandered into the swimming pool intent on doing a few laps. Changing into a pair of swimming shorts, he climbed into the cool water. He swam from one end of the pool to the other, then back again. He pushed himself swimming until his arms were sore and his legs ached. He forced himself to the side, leaning heavily against it. 

"Need help getting out of the pool?" The Doctor questioned. 

"No," Jack responded. Using his remaining strength, he pulled himself up out of the pool collapsing on the side. Turning his head, he saw the Doctor sitting on the edge of the pool. He had to have been there for awhile as he had both his shoes and socks off, his trousers were pulled up to his knees with his bare feet resting in the water. "How long have you been there?"

"Not long," The Doctor lied. In truth, he had gone to the pool the moment that Jack entered the room after being alerted by the TARDIS that Jack was in the pool. After he had found Jack floating face down, he had been terrified that Jack would try again. So excusing himself from the room, he had gone to the pool to watch Jack swimming laps while he waited anxiously, hoping that he didn't have to pull him out again. 

"Yet, out of all the rooms aboard the TARDIS, you knew that I would be in the pool," Jack told him, the suspicion clear in his voice. The Doctor looked guilty as he rubbed the back of his neck. Jack narrowed his eyes at the Time Lord. "I promised you that you would never find me floating face down in this pool again and I meant it. I thought you trusted me, but obviously, I was wrong."

"Jack," The Doctor started as Jack pulled himself angrily to his feet. He stormed towards the door with the Doctor hurrying quickly after him. "Jack, I'm sorry."

"I don't want to hear it right now, Doc, because we both know that you're not sorry that you put a trace on me. You're just sorry that I caught you," Jack seethed going towards his own room on the TARDIS.

"I was worried about you, Jack," The Doctor responded. Jack ignored him as he entered his room slamming the door behind him. He locked the door behind him as he headed towards his ensuite. "Jack? Please, Jack just talk to me." He yelled through the door. Jack continued on his way as he went into the shower. He quickly rinsed off his body, then dressed in his gray trousers with white over shirt. He put on his belt and suspenders then his black boots lacing them up. Finished he opened the door to find the Doctor standing outside of it waiting for him. 

"Move," Jack snipped. 

"Jack," The Doctor tried again. Jack pushed past him heading to the console room. He glanced quickly at the monitor to make sure that they were parked on a planet before heading out into the bright sunny day. He squinted against the sun, surprised that they were sitting in a field on Earth. It made sense though when he thought about it as there was always fresh food on board. 

The Doctor watched Jack from the doorway, wanting to chase after him. If he did, Jack would never forgive him for not providing him the space that he needed. However, he would never forgive himself if Jack left and he didn't try to stop him. He stood waiting for Jack to turn around until he disappeared from his sight. He kicked himself mentally as he closed the doors leaning heavily against them. He had to believe that Jack loved him enough that once he calmed down that he would return on his own. Unable to just stand around and wait, he made his way back towards Steven's room. Changing his mind along the way, he headed to the family room instead. Flopping heavily on the couch, he picked up the controller and began to play.


	33. Chapter 33

Jack wandered until he came to the nearest road. From there he followed it back to a small town, making sure to keep track of where he was going. While he wanted to get away from the Doctor at the moment, he knew eventually that he would want to go back. He passed several small clothing stores, a book shop and a grocery store before finally finding the place that he was looking for. Going into the small bar, he wandered up to the counter. Ordering himself a shot of whiskey and a pint of beer, he took a seat. While it was hard for him to get drunk from beer alone due to his high metabolism, still it relaxed him. He smiled as a young man sat down next to him with his girlfriend in tow. 

"I'm Captain Jack Harkness and you are," he flirted with his tone. 

"I'm Leslie and this is Samuel," The girl answered with a smile. 

"Can I buy you a pint?" Jack offered gesturing for the bartender to bring over another two beers before the couple could answer. He laughed and flirted with the couple feeling like his old self again. As the day wore on, the three of them danced together and Jack was positive that he could have got them into his bed. Except, he found that he didn't want to share his bed with anyone but the Time Lord. Now that he wasn't as angry, he felt bad for leaving as the Doctor was only looking out for him because he was worried. He was the one who had dragged Jack out of the hotel room that he had found sanctuary in. He was also the one who had pulled Jack out of the pool when Jack drowned himself. Even if Jack promised that he would never let the Doctor find him in the pool again, he should have known the Doctor would keep an eye on him just in case. 

"I have to go," Jack told them breaking away from the couple. Leslie grabbed on to his arm holding it tightly in her own. 

"Don't leave, yet. Stay and at least have another drink," Samuel insisted.

"Yeah, stay with us," Leslie pouted. Jack carefully pulled her hand off of his arm. 

"I'm sorry, I can't," Jack apologized heading towards the door. He didn't miss the fact that they both followed him, Leslie grabbing his arm again. 

"Don't you want us to join you?" She questioned her voice soft but the intention clear in her tone. 

"No, I really don't," Jack responded. He pulled his arm away roughly away from her making it clear he didn't plan to stay. Going outside, he quickly realized that someone was following him. He didn't even think about it as he turned looking Samuel in the eyes. "You have a choice, you can fight me or you can return to the bar with that lovely girl of yours. Just know that if you do choose the first option, I will walk away from it but I can't promise the same for you."

"Come on, Samuel. He isn't worth it," Leslie said pulling on Samuel's arm to try to drag him back in the bar. Samuel spat at him as he turned to follow his girlfriend. Jack turned to head to the TARDIS but he barely made it a dozen steps before a fist connected with the back of his head. Angry now, Jack didn't even think about his actions as he spun around, his hand connecting with Samuel's nose. Samuel reached for his face and Jack's second hand caught him in the stomach. As he leaned forward, Jack hit him one last time in the jaw causing Samuel to fall to the ground.

"If I were you, I would stay down," Jack told him calmly as he started towards the Doctor again. He heard Samuel calling him names as he walked off but he ignored him as he continued on his way. He walked trying to find landmarks that looked familiar, relieved when he saw the bookstore. He continued on his way into the large field, speeding up as he saw the TARDIS sitting in the middle. He was practically running by the time he reached her, letting himself back on board. She hummed at him as he entered, blowing warm air on his face. "I'm happy to see you, too," He responded, rubbing his hand on one of the corals. 

Continuing on his way, he followed his normal nightly routine. Stopping into Steven's room first, he carried him to the small beach the Doctor had created for him. Sitting down, he held him close as he told Steven about meeting the Doctor for the first time during world war two. He left out the part of gas mask zombies as he explained how he had been a conman at the time. The Doctor had changed him, however, giving him a purpose in life again by teaching him that he could be so much more than a conman. Because of the Doctor, he risked his life to save everyone from the bomb. The Doctor saved him, though, and from that night on he vowed that he would make the Doctor proud of him. A task that he failed too many times in the past, yet he continued to try. 

"Do you love him, Uncle?" Steven questioned softly. 

"I do," Jack answered. "The Doctor is very dear to me. He is a good man who saved not only me and you but countless others throughout the years."

"Are you going to marry him?" Steven asked curiously. Jack couldn't stop the bark of laughter that escaped. 

"Probably not," Jack responded. It wasn't that he didn't want to marry the Time Lord, he just didn't see him as the settling down type. Still, maybe just maybe, he would agree to stay with Jack, even if they didn't marry. 

"Why not?" Steven wondered. Rather than answer him, Jack changed the subject telling him a story about when his mother was young before they were separated. He continued to talk until he heard Steven's breathing even out and he went limp in Jack's arms. Jack picked him up, taking him back to the medi-bay. Tucking him in, he took a deep breath before returning to the Doctor's side. He hoped the Doctor wasn't too mad at him for taking off but he wasn't going to apologize for his actions. He needed the time to himself and to think about his relationship with the Doctor. 

Opening the door to the room they shared, he saw the Time Lord waiting for him like always. Only this time, the Doctor had curled himself around a pillow. His brown eyes were red from the tears that he had shed and his hair was a disheveled mess. Jack toed his shoes off, then climbed up on the bed taking the Doctor into his arms. The Doctor threw the pillow aside so that he could press his face against Jack's chest breathing him in. 

"I thought you weren't coming back," The Doctor admitted, his voice hoarse. 

"I just wanted a moment to myself because I was angry. I'm not going anywhere, though, not unless you want me too," Jack informed him holding him tightly. 

"I don't. I want you here," The Doctor admitted. He held Jack just as close as he kissed him softly on the chest. "I missed you."

"I missed you too, sweethearts," Jack responded dropping a kiss on the top of the Doctor's head. Releasing the Doctor with one hand, he reached down to lift his chin so that he could look the Doctor in the eyes. "Just promise me that you will stop having the TARDIS alerting you when I move rooms. I would like to swim or shower in peace every once in awhile."

"I promise," The Doctor agreed even if he didn't want to. If they were going to be a couple, though, he was going to have to trust Jack. He hid his face in Jack's chest again as Jack moved his arm to once more hold him tightly. Sending a silent message to the TARDIS, the lights dimmed as the Doctor drifted off to sleep safe in his lover's arms.


	34. Chapter 34

The Doctor woke up feeling safe and warm in Jack's arms. He didn't open his eyes as he pressed his to Jack's chest breathing in his familiar scent. Yesterday, he had waited for hours for Jack to return as he replayed the fight over and over in his head. Jack was right to be mad that the Doctor had been spying on him but he wasn't the one who had nightmares of finding Jack facedown in the pool. Only in his dreams, he was back aboard the valiant, chained to a wall and unable to save his lover from continuously drowning. It had been late before he finally came to the conclusion that the Captain wasn't returning. Bidding Martha goodnight, he had gone to his room. Once the door was closed, he couldn't stop the tears as his hearts broke. He collapsed down on his bed, sobbing into his pillow as he wished that Jack would return. 

It was only the TARDIS alerting him that Jack had returned to the ship that allowed him to calm down. He wanted to rush out to the control room and throw his arms around Jack begging his forgiveness. He would swear to Jack that he wouldn't spy on him again and then allow Jack to make love to him right there on the control room floor. He paused in his thoughts as he realized that he loved the Captain. Yes, he had always known that he cared for the man, but the thought of love had never crossed his mind. It felt like a weight had been lifted from his shoulders just being able to think it and hopefully one day soon he would find a way to tell Jack. 

Opening his eyes, he carefully untangled himself from Jack's arms. Remaining on the bed and under the warm blankets, he reached down pulling his trousers and pants lower. He kicked them off then pressed his bare legs against Jack's trousered covered body as he reached behind him. It wasn't hard to find the lube that Jack kept in the bedside table drawer and the thought of what he was doing had his body reacting even as his cheeks flushed red with both anxiousness and embarrassment. What he was about to do wasn't proper for a Time Lord, but when had that ever stopped him. Opening the cap to the small bottle, he squirted a small amount on his fingers before reaching behind himself. He closed his eyes briefly as he quickly applied it to himself. Reaching out, he moved Jack's trousers as he took him in his mouth. 

"That feels nice," Jack moaned as his body woke up. He opened his eyes, stretching at the pleasure that was radiating throughout his body. He smiled as he couldn't see the Time Lord buried beneath the blankets, but he could feel what was happening to his body. Moving his hand, he found the Doctor's head gently stroking his hair. Releasing Jack, the Doctor sat up kneeling over Jack's body with the blankets covering his face still. Taking Jack into his hand he held him steady as he leaned back. Jack threw his head back groaning in pleasure. Needing to see the Doctor, he moved the blankets back. 

"Morning," The Doctor smiled happily as he paused in his movements. "Did you sleep well."

"I did," Jack answered as he tried to keep from laughing at the ridiculousness of the moment that they were sharing. "Did you?"

"Oh, yes very well," The Doctor agreed. He yelped as Jack thrust his hips up, pushing himself further into the Doctor's body. The Doctor glared at him and Jack laughed. He started to sit up and Jack couldn't help the whimper that escaped. Looking pleased with himself, the Doctor started to lower his body once more until he was sitting flush against Jack's skin. Resting a hand on Jack's chest, he braced himself as he began to move slowly. He bit his bottom lip as he concentrated on moving and bringing pleasure to the both of them. Eventually, though, he collapsed forward kissing softly on Jack's neck. "Help me move," He whined. 

Jack couldn't resist the Time Lord even if he wanted to. Grasping the Doctor's hips, he helped the Doctor to continue his movements as the Doctor moaned and whimpered in pleasure. Jack felt him tense and he pulled the Doctor down as he found his release on Jack's stomach. Jack couldn't stop himself from following the Doctor over the edge if he tried. He left himself buried deep in the Doctor's body as he reached up to gently caress his cheek. 

"Not that I'm complaining, but what brought that on," Jack questioned. The Doctor turned his head, kissing the inside of Jack's wrist as he quickly mumbled something. "Sorry, I didn't catch that."

"Breakfast. I am going to see if Martha will make Toad in the Hole for everybody. Then for lunch, we can order pizza. Of course, we can't have it brought to the TARDIS, so we will have to send Mickey to pick it up. Or could we. Maybe we could have them deliver to the field, I am sure I have an address for it somewhere," The Doctor announced happily trying to sit up as he spoke quickly to distract his lover. Jack easily held the Doctor in place with a hand on his hips. 

"Doctor," Jack started. The Doctor frowned at him a moment as he realized that he was trapped. He squirmed a little, trying to make himself more comfortable as a smile once more appeared on his face. 

"You're right, I really don't want Toad in the Hole either. We should have something with a more pleasant name like cake or pastries. Do you think Martha knows how to bake danishes or should I have her send Mickey to the store for them?" The Doctor questioned interrupting Jack. 

"I doubt that Martha knows how to make Danishes though I am positive there is a little shop in town that does. I will even go pick a few for you myself so that we don't have to bug Mickey, but I'm not going anywhere or letting you up until you tell me what you said," Jack told him calmly. 

"I said Ni kui'lasie," The Doctor answered, his voice low as he hung his head.

"Meaning?" Jack wondered.

"I love you," The Doctor answered, his voice soft as he spoke. He raised his eyes daring to look in Jacks. "It means I love you."

"I love you, too sweethearts," Jack responded. He held onto the Doctor as he flipped them so that the Doctor was now on his back with Jack still buried deep within his body. "I just hope you didn't plan on getting out of bed anytime soon after telling me." 

"You're insatiable," The Doctor complained as he let out a large sigh. 

"And who woke me up this morning for sex?" Jack questioned with a laugh. The Doctor's face turned red and Jack leaned down to kiss his flushed cheeks as he began to move.


	35. Chapter 35

The Doctor lay sleeping peacefully on Jack's chest. Jack felt quite proud of himself as despite only waking up a couple of hours prior, their lovemaking had caused him to drift back into a sated sleep. Jack couldn't sleep, though, as he lay staring at the ceiling running his fingers along the Doctor's spine. After years of waiting, the Doctor had said the three little words that Jack had always longed to hear. Except, he wouldn't hold him Doctor to them. He knew that things could be said during post-coital bliss that they didn't mean. Many a one night stand had told him he loved him or cared about him without actually meaning it. Still, it had been nice to hear. Leaning up, he kissed the Doctor softly on the top of the head. The Time Lord moaned, rubbing his face on Jack's chest before turning his head. 

 

He whimpered turning it the other way again. His arm reached out and Jack helped him to find the blankets. He assisted the Doctor in pulling the blanket up so that it was covering his head. The Doctor sighed in content as he stopped squirming and fell back into a deeper sleep. Jack smiled, returning to rubbing his back. Closing his eyes, he took comfort in the Doctor's cool breath as he tried to join him in his sleep. He was almost there when there was a knock on the door. 

 

"Uncle," Steven called through the door. 

 

"I'll be right there," Jack yelled back. 

 

"Shhh," The Doctor moaned, putting his hand over Jack's mouth. Jack chuckled moving the blankets back to find the Doctor was still asleep. If anything that got him laughing harder. The Doctor moved the blanket back, looking at Jack through half-slited eyes. "Jack," he whined.  

 

"I'm sorry, sweethearts, but I need to get up," Jack told him softly. 

 

"I'm comfortable," The Doctor complained. 

 

"I know, and I wouldn't make you move if it wasn't for a good reason," Jack explained. The Doctor rolled his eyes. Leaning up, he gave him a quick kiss on the lips before forfeiting the warmth of Jack's chest. He made it clear he was unhappy with the change as he curled around a pillow staring at Jack with sad sleepy eyes. It took most of Jack's willpower to force himself out of the bed, and dress in his trousers. Opening the door, he found Martha standing with Steven. Steven was holding tightly onto a walker but he was supporting himself. 

 

"Uncle Jack," Steven muttered happily with a smile as Jack opened the door. 

 

"Look at you," Jack exclaimed dropping down so that he was eye-level with his grandson. "Did you walk here by yourself?"

 

"He did," Martha answered for him sounding proud. She had been working hard with the little boy to get him back on his feet. Looking into the room, she saw the Doctor watching them sleepily. "Is he alright?"

 

"Fine, we just had a busy morning," Jack told her. He laughed as Martha blushed. Standing up, he reached back to grab the door handle and pull the door closed.

 

"Where's your mum?" Jack questioned, surprised not to see Alice in the corridors with them. 

 

"She also decided to sleep in the morning. Steven was unable to sleep, so Mickey helped me get him up for his daily exercises. It was his decision to come to your room to say good morning, though," Martha responded. It had been a shorter walk than normal to get from the medi-bay as the TARDIS picked up on the little boy's need to see his uncle.  

 

"Can we go to the beach?" Steven wondered. Jack glanced up at Martha as he repositioned himself in front of Steven so that he was once again eye level. 

 

"Not right now," Jack answered. 

 

"Please?" Steven begged. Jack sighed. 

 

"Alright," He agreed. He stood up wondering if he should offer support to his grandson or if Steven was able to make his way to the room on his own. Steven answered his question as he took a small step forward. He was dragging his left leg still while using his right leg to lead. Going to the door near his room, Jack opened it to reveal his beach. Steven moved towards it but was unable to walk on the sandy floor by himself. Jack scooped him up in his arms carrying him towards the water. Settling down, he realized that they were alone. He turned his head to see that Martha was still standing in the doorway. "You can come in."

 

"Are you sure? The Doctor said this was your room," Martha explained. Jack nodded. Making her way further into the room, she sat down next to the two of them. She was amazed to smell the salty water of the beach and feel the spray against her skin. If she didn't know better, she would swear that she had walked out of the TARDIS directly on to a small isolated beach. "This place is beautiful. I can see why Steven likes it here. Have you ever considered going back?"

 

"I have but it doesn't look like this anymore. The home that I grew up in was abandoned and has fallen into ruins. Without us watching the beach, it has become a tourist spot and littered with people and trash. No one remembers the horrors that happened here that day," Jack sighed. "Well, no one but those of us who were there."

 

"I'm sorry," Martha replied not sure what else to say.

 

"Yeah," Jack whispered. He rested his head on top of Steven's rocking him as he stared out at the water. He didn't even notice as the door to the room opened again until a lithe body flopped down on the sand beside him. 

 

"I brought coffee," The Doctor announce happily. Jack smiled reaching for one of the four cups on the tray. The Doctor turned it so that Jack grabbed the coffee that had been specifically made for Jack. He then gave Martha her coffee and Steven a cup of hot cocoa. Picking up his tea, he held it in his hand as he spoke again. "Mickey is making breakfast for everybody. He will call us when it is ready."

 

"What are we having?" Steven questioned.

 

"I don't know. Mickey wouldn't tell me. He just gave me the coffee and told me to go," The Doctor pouted. Jack kissed the Doctor's pouting lip and the Doctor smiled. 

 

"Can we have a picnic?" Steven wondered looking up at his uncle. 

 

"In here?" Jack clarified and Steven nodded. Jack looked out at the water again as he thought about Steven's request. This room was his own private place based on a memory from the last time that he felt he truly had a home. He had once been happy here. A picnic with his friends and family could once more make it that way. "Alright," he agreed. 

 

"I'll go tell Mickey and get a blanket for us to sit on," Martha offered. Bracing her cup in the sand, she got to her feet hurrying out of the room. 

 

"Are you sure about this Jack?" The Doctor asked in concern. 

 

"I am," Jack responded. The Doctor wrapped an arm around Jack's back, hugging him while they waited for the others to arrive. Martha returned first with Alice beside her. Together they spread out the blanket. Mickey arrived a short time later bringing with him a platter of fruit, toast, sausages and crepes. They migrated to the blanket with Alice sitting near Jack helping to support Steven. They talked and laughed as they ate, enjoying each other's company. Looking out at the water, Jack smiled as a forgotten memory resurfaced of a picnic he shared with his family many years ago. 

 

"Are you alright?" The Doctor asked seeing Jack staring at the water. 

 

"I am," Jack responded. Reaching out he picked up another of the crepes as he leaned into his lover. For the first time in a long time, he felt truly happy. Leaning into his lover, he once more joined in the conversation. 


	36. Chapter 36

With breakfast finished, everyone packed up the food and blankets leaving the room as pristine as they found it. The Doctor left with them going to help Martha with Steven's daily exercises. Mickey was restless, choosing to leave the TARDIS for a few hours on his own to investigate a strange disappearance in a park. Jack was positive that it was related to the weevils and offered his help if Mickey needed it, for now though, he relaxed on his beach staring out at the water. He heard the door open and close again. He ignored it, thinking that maybe they had forgotten a bag or fork or something. 

"Steven tells me you grew up here," Alice spoke as she took a seat next to him.

"It may look like my childhood home but this is just a recreation that the Doctor made of it. That building has long since become a ruin and this beach has been ruined by tourist. I just wish that I could take you and Steven to see it the way it was when I was a child," Jack told her quietly. He never spoke of his childhood home to her but it just seemed right. "Your great-grandfather was one of the first settlers and helped choose this beach to build the family home. He would be devastated to know what the beach turned into as he just wanted a quiet place to raise his family. You would have loved him as well as your grandfather."

"What happened to them?" Alice asked expressing an interest. She had tried to discuss Jack's side of the family in the past but he always avoided the subject. The only thing that she knew for sure was that her grandparents had died while he was young. Jack stared out at the water not answering her right away. He had always kept secrets from the ones he loved in order to keep them safe. It had caused Alice's mother to run from him and for her to grow up not knowing him as her father. While they had managed to rebuild a relationship over the years, they were still estranged due to his immortality. Yet, she now knew of his childhood home, the least he could do was to tell her about the family she never knew as well. 

"Your great-grandfather, Phillip, died of old age, while your granddad, Franklin, was killed when our small village was attacked. Your uncle, Gray, also died that day, while your grandmother, Helen, died a few years later of heartbreak," Jack explained speaking their names for the first time in years. While it was a lie that Gray had died as a child, Jack didn't think that she needed to know the truth. That her uncle had been kidnapped and tortured for years until he returned to take his revenge out on his brother who had let go of his hand. So even if Gray hadn't died that day, the boy that Jack considered his brother had. 

"I'm sorry, I never knew. I wish I could have met them," Alice told him. 

"Me too," Jack answered. He heard Alice take a deep breath before she spoke again. 

"I know that you have been taking Steven out of his room at night and bring him here. When I first found out, I was furious and wanted to put a stop to it. Except Steven enjoys spending time with you, even if he is aware that you are the reason why he was hurt," Alice explained to her father, finally admitting the real reason that she had come back to the room. 

"I want you to know that I haven't forgiven you for what you did to Steven if I understand why. I know that you had no other choice or billions of children would have passed away. Knowing, though, doesn't make it any easier as I watch my child struggle to walk, talk, or even remember what happened from one moment to the next. Martha assures me that he was getting better and feels that he will even be able to go home here in the next month or two. I look at him, though, and don't see how it is possible. I want more than anything for my son to return to his old life but I don't see how it is possible because of you," Alice informed him. Jack continued to stare forward. While part of him was happy to hear that his grandson would be able to return to his home soon, another part was devastated by the fact that he wouldn't be able to see him anymore as he was sure that Alice would keep him from Steven. Not that he blamed her. 

"I'll stay away from him," Jack spoke up, his voice barely more than a whisper. 

"Don't you dare. Your grandson loves you and has begged me to allow you to continue to spend time with him. His days are regimented at the moment. They are filled with physical therapy, medications, studies to help his brain, and tears. He told me that he looks forward to sitting with you at night and listening to your stories and I'm not going to take that away from him," Alice informed her father.

"Thank you," Jack whispered. Clearing his throat he tried again. This time his voice was stronger as he spoke to her. "Thank you, Alice. I'm so sorry that I hurt him and I understand why you can't forgive me. I just hope that within time, we can be a family again."

"I don't know if that is possible," Alice answered him. He didn't respond, biting back the tears as they sat in silence. He was thankful that after a long moment, she stood walking out of the room. Jack didn't watch her go as he continued to stare out at the water. He heard the door close behind her and knowing that he was alone, he finally let the tears fall. Standing, he made his way to the water. As he stood in it, he realized just how shallow the water was. That was alright, though, as he only needed enough to cover his face. He laid down so that his head was resting in the water. Closing his eyes, he took a few deep breaths before turning his head. Holding his breath he pushed his face into the sand forcing himself to stay. He wasn't able to keep his face buried for long before he was pulled roughly out of the water. He opened his eyes to look straight into the oncoming storm. 

"I'm sorry," He apologized, even if he didn't mean it. 

"Yeah," The Doctor answered as he drug Jack further up the beach depositing him in the sand. Reaching down, he grabbed Jack's hand pulling him roughly to his feet. Jack stumbled as he was pulled towards the door. He didn't fight as he led into their room. The Doctor slammed the door behind them, pushing Jack to sit in the wooden chair in front of the desk. He stormed into the ensuite returning a moment later with a towel as well as clean clothes. Jack took them laying them on the desk before standing. With shaky hands, he began to button his shirt. 

"Doctor," he started. 

"I don't want to hear it right now Jack. Mickey is waiting to take you with him and I need to get back to Steven," the Doctor seethed. He had been having a good morning, he had finally admitted his love for Jack, had a picnic breakfast with his friends and then gone to help with Steven who was beating all their expectations with his recovery. When Mickey had returned asking for Jack's help, he had even offered to go get him just to find Jack face down in water for a second time. 

"Doctor please just listen to me a moment," Jack begged him. The Doctor gestured for Jack to continue before crossing his arms and leaning against the wall. Jack took it as a good sign before quickly explaining his conversation with Alice and what led him to the water. The Doctor sighed walking forward. 

"I understand you were hurting, but you promised me that I wouldn't find you face down in the water again," the Doctor explained as he started to help Jack unbutton his shirt. 

"I know but I didn't think of that when I made the decision to go into the water," Jack answered. "I made a mistake but I promise next time I want to kill myself, I will find you first. Just please don't send me away." The Doctor leaned forward kissing Jack on the forehead. 

"I'm not sending you anywhere. You're just going to help Mickey but you will be returning to the TARDIS to tonight because I love you. Even if you are just a stupid ape sometimes," The Doctor told him with a small smile. 

"I love you, too," Jack answered. He moved his head so that he could catch the Doctor's lips. Shrugging off his shirt, he reached out to start on the Doctor's clothes. The Doctor slapped his hand away. 

"We have work to do," the Doctor told him trying to sound firm. 

"It can wait," Jack responded slipping his hand into the Doctor's trousers. The Doctor groaned as he gave into Jack. He was right after all and their work could wait awhile.


	37. Chapter 37

The Doctor and Jack both changed their trousers before leaving their room. While the Doctor understood Jack's need for constant sex as a way to apologize, relax, celebrate or any other reason that he could think of, he needed to get back to work while Mickey needed help. He felt like a teenager as Jack made him fall over the edge into his trousers from just his hand with promises that they would continue later. The Doctor found himself looking forward to the promise as the made their way out to the control room where Mickey and Martha were waiting for them. 

"Keep an eye on him," the Doctor told Mickey as he briefly stared him in the eyes. 

"Sure thing boss," Mickey responded saluting the Doctor using two fingers. The Doctor groaned as he turned to head back to Steven's room. Mickey chuckled as he heard the Doctor mumbling to himself about apes and saluting him when he didn't like being saluted. Reminding himself to antagonize the Doctor by saluting him again later, he left the TARDIS with Jack. It was a short walk to where he had left his SUV on the side of the road by the SUV. Jack started towards the driver side but Mickey cleared his throat loudly. 

"I always drive," Jack informed him crossing his arms. 

"You don't even know where we are going," Mickey argued. 

"That's what you are here for," Jack explained holding out his hand for the keys. Mickey sighed loudly as he pulled them out of his pocket handing them to Jack. Jack smiled as he unlocked the doors and climbed into the driver's side while Mickey sat on the passenger side. Jack started the engine, letting Mickey direct him towards the park that they were investigating. 

"So, how did you kill yourself this time?" Mickey asked as they drove. Jack glanced at him briefly. 

"What makes you think I killed myself?" Jack wondered. He swore swerving around a slow moving car.

"The Doctor told me to look after you even though you are the one who is immortal," Mickey explained. He didn't bother to brace himself or complain about Jack's driving as he tended to drive recklessly as well when Martha wasn't in the vehicle. 

"Well, I didn't kill myself," Jack told him. It wasn't a lie as the Doctor had stopped him before he could. 

"But you tried," Mickey responded seeing right through his statement. 

"Can we stop talking about what may have happened and instead focus on why you asked me to help you in the park?" Jack snipped irritably. He was already going to have to deal with the Doctor tracking him as he moved around the TARDIS until the Doctor trusted that he wasn't going to try to kill himself again. 

"Fine," Mickey agreed. "There have been several disappearances in the park lately." Mickey continued explaining that not all the disappearances were humans but also several animals. The police were baffled and the police dogs weren't able to track the missing people. Jack agreed that it sounded like a weevil den was located somewhere in the park, but the last survey done before Torchwood was destroyed hadn't placed one nearby. Still, that had been almost two years ago and it was possible one could have moved in. Reaching their destination, they got out of the SUV. Mickey let Jack lead the way as they made their way deeper into the park to the dense forest. Jack was easily able to find the forming weevil den as he had tracked them many times over the years. Mickey didn't believe Jack at first as he went into the thick underbrush to where a medium size hole was located. Pulling out their torches, they moved slowly into the den. Jack could hear scratching and the growling indicating that the weevils were nearby. For a brief moment, he missed his old weevil Janet. He had saved her from a park and kept her safe until she was killed when Torchwood was destroyed. 

"There are at least three of them ahead, possibly more," Jack whispered. Mickey reached to his side, pulling a gun out of a holster hidden underneath his shirt. He knew that the Doctor hated guns and refused to have them on his TARDIS so he made sure that he didn't see it. He offered it to Jack and Jack took it as Mickey pulled a second one. "Stay behind me."

"So you're giving the orders now," Mickey questioned. 

"Yes," Jack replied. Mickey didn't argue, allowing Jack to take the lead once more as they entered the main den. Inside, there were four adult weevils as well as several children. Jack didn't see the fifth weevil until it knocked him to the ground, latching its teeth onto his neck in the process. Jack faintly heard the gunshot as his world went black. For a moment time seemed to stop before he took a deep breath returning. He jumped to his feet, adrenaline pumping as he saw Mickey struggling with the male Alpha. He had managed to wound him, but all it did was make the alpha mad. Jack hesitated as he pulled his gun. Killing the alpha would put the rest of the weevils in danger. He didn't think about his decision as he lowered his gun rushing the weevil. Slamming into it, he knocked it away from Mickey feeling it claw him in the process. The females were advancing slowly on them. 

"Run," Jack yelled to Mickey. 

"I'm not leaving you behind," Mickey responded.

"I can't stay dead, you can. Now listen to me and get the hell out of here," Jack argued him. He fired a warning shot at the feet of the females causing them to pause. Grabbing Mickey's arm, he pulled him out of the den. The two of them ran from the den and towards the park. They were going to have to find a way to keep people out of the park until the weevils could be moved but they didn't worry about that for now as they ran. Jack checked several times to make sure the weevils weren't following them. One female was trying, but a shot into the wall beside her made her stop. They left the den, continuing to hurry through the dense underbrush as quickly as possible. Reaching the open grass, they both tumbled to the ground laughing. 

"We should do this more often," Micky stated as he started to calm down. 

"You like going into weevil dens?" Jack questioned. He sat up staring down at the younger man. 

"I wouldn't say I like it but I've missed investigating. I mean Martha and my freelancing is great and all but we tend to spend more time researching the problem than actually fighting it. I miss the thrill of just running in and figuring it out as I go," Mickey explained sitting up as well. Jack nodded his understanding.

"It felt good to run again, but this isn't my job anymore. I gave it up when I decided to leave earth," Jack told him. 

"How would you like to join Martha and I freelancing once Steven is well?" Mickey questioned. Jack stared ahead not answering him right away. Torchwood had been his life for almost a hundred years. When the buildings were destroyed, he thought it was over. He thought that he could move on from it. Still, the ghost of the people he lost over the years followed him where ever he went. He still dreamed of Ianto and thought of Tosh and Owen whenever he worked on a new project. He missed the days where he lived down in the sewers but Torchwood was gone. He wasn't going to put Mickey, Martha or anyone else in danger ever again. 

"I don't think so. I don't know what I am going to do once Steven is well, but I can't put you in danger," Jack answered. Mickey made a rude noise with his mouth. 

"I can protect myself," He scoffed. 

"So could they," Jack whispered climbing to his feet. He headed back to the SUV, opening the back of it. Mickey joined him in setting a perimeter up to keep people away from the weevil den. There was no more talk about Jack returning to Earth as they worked. Finishing, they returned to the TARDIS. The Doctor was waiting for them in the control room, but Jack didn't look at him as he disappeared deeper into the TARDIS. The Doctor glared at Mickey before setting out after him.


	38. Chapter 38

"Mickey wants me to stay on Earth with him and Martha once Steven is released," Jack explained as the Doctor entered their room. He made his way over to where Jack was sitting on the end of the bed waiting for him. 

"Are you going to?" The Doctor questioned as he took a seat next to him. His own hearts were pounding nervously as he thought of Jack leaving him again. He thought they had a relationship developing and hoped that Jack would travel the stars with him again but maybe he had been wrong. 

"I don't know, Doc. I mean I don't want to put them in danger but they are going to keep investigating regardless of whether or not I am with them. By staying I can help protect them and possibly rebuild Torchwood to protect the Earth. I will also be near my daughter and Steven. I know Alice is still mad at me but she is going to need help with Steven and I can provide financial help as well as support that she can't get elsewhere," Jack informed him.

"It sounds like you've already made your decision," The Doctor responded with a sad smile. Jack turned his head to look the Doctor in the eyes as he continued. 

"Except, staying would mean losing you and I don't want that either. I never thought that you would love me as much as I love you and I want to spend the rest of your life with you," Jack told him. The Doctor leaned forward kissing Jack softly. 

"You don't have to choose one way or the other Jack. You can help out on Earth and travel with me in between. Don't forget I have a TARDIS and we can be gone for years at a time and still have you back to work on Monday," the Doctor responded. 

"It will take time to rebuild Torchwood. I will have to find a new location for it as well as hire contractors to build it. I will also have to contact Gwen to see if she can get the codes for Torchwood because if anything survived it will be in Torchwood two's databases," Jack explained to him. The Doctor made a face at him as he thought about the amount of time it would take to rebuild Torchwood. While he had never agreed with Torchwood's policy of if it's alien, it belongs to them or the fact that he was the number one enemy, Jack had tried to make it a better place. 

"I can help you," the Doctor told him. 

"You will help me rebuild Torchwood?" Jack asked him in disbelief knowing his hatred of the establishment. The Doctor nodded causing Jack to narrow his eyes in suspicion. "Why?"

"Because it makes you happy," The Doctor answered him. His answer made Jack pause for a long moment. It couldn't have been that simple, yet the more he thought about it the more he realized the Doctor wasn't lying. He would help Jack rebuild Torchwood just to make him happy. Just like he helped Steven because it was the right thing to do. It was Jack's turn to press their mouth's together and he kissed the Doctor deeply. 

"God I love you," he informed him between claiming his mouth.

"I love you, too," the Doctor panted. He wrapped his arms around Jack as together they fell back on the bed ready to prove it. 

-Two months later-

Jack stood in front of the TARDIS watching the construction of the building. Rather than finding a new location for Torchwood, they had chosen to rebuild on the ruins of Torchwood Three. Though, the plans had a large basement the main building would be above ground this time allowing light into the base. While Cardiff would always hold memories of his time with Ianto and the loss of his original team he hoped that he could honor their memories by building a new building that worked to help aliens rather than conquer them. While he would never have attempted it without Mickey's advice, it was thanks to the Doctor that he even had the confidence to attempt to return. 

"What do you think Steven?" Jack questioned looking down at his grandson. Steven was standing next to him supporting himself without a walker. While Steven still had trouble remembering what happened from day to day and moved slower than before, he was alive and thriving. He was still going to have daily physical therapy with Martha for the next few months and Jack had spent good money making sure that Steven would have the help he needed when he returned to school. Alice had insisted that she could manage, but Jack wouldn't hear it. He was the reason that Steven would still need help and he was going to make sure he received it no matter the cost. 

"It's a building," Steven answered.

"You're right it looks as though it is just a building," Jack responded even if soon it would be so much more. Torchwood had always been his home as well as his work. Even if he was now traveling with the Doctor, Torchwood would soon have a room just for him again. Only now he would be sharing that room with the Doctor. The building would also have rooms for Martha and Mickey and anyone else that needed one for a night who came to work with them. Gwen was also coming back to work but she would still live on the beach with Rhys and their daughter. "But one day I will explain to you how it can be so much more."

"Like the TARDIS," Steven wondered causing Jack to laugh. 

"Not exactly," Jack chuckled. He reached down taking Steven's hand in his own before turning to head back onto the blue box. The Doctor was standing in the doorway waiting for them. He smiled as he led them inside and on to their next adventure.


End file.
